BEVERLY HILLS, May 05, (THEWILL) – Government has assured members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) they would be paid salary arrears by Friday May 7.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, gave the assurance on Tuesday following an exhaustive meeting with the doctors, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other stakeholders yesterday.
Ahmed said funds were available for the payment, assuring that her ministry would pay immediately a verified list of the beneficiaries was received.
However, when the Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, who was one of the stakeholders at the meeting, confirmed that his office was in receipt of the list, the Minister gave her word that payment would be made by May 7.
The doctors, on their part, hinted that they were ready to suspend their planned resumption of strike on Friday, May 7.
They said they would suspend the planned strike as soon as they got payment of their salary arrears.
The resident doctors had on April 1 embarked on an indefinite strike, making some demands, which included non-payment of house officers, abolishment of bench fees, payment of national minimum wage, payment of salary shortfalls for 2014, 2015 and 2016, payment of residency training allowance, and payment of resident doctors on GIFMIS platform.
All the issues raised by the doctors were resolved, except that of salary shortfalls for 2014, 2015 and 2016.
The issue involved all health workers with a cost implication of about N23 billion, which the Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, described as “huge and complicated.”
Also, there were claims that a case on the matter was before a court, which the Speaker asked the Ministry of Health, Dr. Osahie Ehanire, to produce the relevant court papers to back the claim as the resident doctors said their checks revealed there was no pending court case anywhere on the matter.
It was then agreed jointly by the doctors, the House led by the Speaker and officials of the Ministry of Health that the matter should be set aside until court papers were provided.
