By Tonia Okereke
The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration has announced the suspension of its indefinite strike.
Members are to return to work on Monday at 8 a.m.
The President of the association, Dr. George Ebong, said the association temporarily called of the strike following the interventions from the Senate.
He stressed, however, that none of the doctors’ demands have been met so far.
Recall that the Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday commenced an indefinite strike.
The indefinite strike commenced after the association’s seven-day warning strike, which ended after an emergency general meeting held on Sunday.
The ARD-FCTA is an association of doctors practising in the 14 district and general hospitals, including the Department of Public Health under the FCTA.
The communique announcing the strike read: “After the most passionate and historic deliberations in ARD-FCT, Congress unanimously resolved that Congress shall embark on an indefinite strike action commencing 8:00 a.m., Monday, 15th September 2025, until the government and management demonstrate genuine commitment to making health in the FCT a priority.
“We do hope that the management will do the urgent needful to meet all of our demands for the sake of our patients and ourselves”.
In the communique, the association said that after reassessing the issues earlier presented to management, Congress expressed deep disappointment that none of the demands had been met.
“This once again confirms our fears of the chronic neglect of our healthcare system affecting the effectiveness of the medical doctors in order to carry out care in the highest standard,” the doctors stated in the communique.
Part of the doctors’ demands include the payment of salary arrears, ranging from one to six months, owed to members employed since 2023. They also are demanding the immediate recruitment of new staff, settlement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and payment of arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
……Wike’s Response
Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike spoke on the indefinite strike action by the FCT Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors, on Thursday.
The minister disclosed that the FCT Administration had a budget of N25bn to address the health sector in its 2025 budget, recently approved by the National Assembly in July.
He, however, said that payment of allowances and employment of doctors, as requested by the Association, must follow procedures, urging the doctors to exercise patience.
“The SSS called me that people said they will demonstrate, that we are paying attention to roads, we are not paying attention to health. I called the Director, listened, demonstration is allowed everywhere. Nobody will blackmail me, nobody will stop me from doing what I think is right, and do it at the right time.
“The people who now say, look, they are being owed allowances, fine. We lost our Head of Service; we just appointed an acting Head of Service. And I said, okay, go and check, how much are they talking about?
“They said oh, they’ve not employed doctors. I said chairman Civil Service Commission they said they’ve gotten a waiver, fine. What’s my own? Go and employ them. I am not a doctor, I’ve never thought to be a doctor, go ahead and employ them. They say oh, we’re not talking about improving health facilities.
“[In the] 2025 budget, the Capital budget for health alone, we put N25bn. Ask them, when did you get our budget? We got our budget July. We got our budget in July from the National Assembly. So, each time you see people, they won’t ask questions,” he said.
However, Wike warned against using the FCT Civil Service to play politics, saying, “If you want to enter political party A, you’re free to enter political party A and face me when the time comes. Don’t use Civil Service to play politics, no.”
“If the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury brings the bill now, that this is what the allowances are, what’s my own? Why would I hold it? They will pay. But know that everything has a procedure.
“But to tell me you will demonstrate, you will block the road, I told the Director of SSS, allow them to demonstrate, but nobody can stop me from holding this occasion today, not one,” he stated.
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