Breaking: Resident Doctors to suspend strike Friday on this condition

Negotiations the Federal Government  and the striking National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) ended on a positive note on Thursday morning as the doctors have promised to call off nationwide strike if they are paid their salaries on or before Friday.

National Daily learnt that the meeting which started about 2:30pm on Wednesday spanned for over 12 hours with a communique released about 3am on Thursday.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige who stood in for the Federal government appealed to the Resident Doctors to suspend the strike.

However, the doctors insisted that until they received alerts of the unpaid salaries, they would not suspend the strike making the coast unclear whether the striking doctors would suspend strike if the federal government fails to pay them tomorrow.

The strike enters third day today. It was gathered that during the meeting, the leaders of Resident Doctors attempted to end the negotiations as they alleged not getting the right attention to their demands.

ALSO SEE: Festival of strikes: Resident Doctors issue strike notice to FG

Following prolonged negotiation which remained inconclusive as at 1am, the parties unanimously resolved that the nationwide industrial action should be suspended as soon as the payment alert are received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) today as promised by the Federal Government’s team.

One of the Resident Doctors who shunned all entreaties said, “Until we receive alerts we are not going to call off the strike. I don’t have any trust in the government. I trekked over 1000 kilometers during the elections despite the Boko Haram attack in Maiduguri to vote for President Buhari.

“Buhari went to London for treatment and he paid the doctors there but he does not want to pay us. We are not going to call off the strike until we get alerts. In fact, it is the government that is prolonging the strike,” he added.

He frowned at a practice whereby government official run abroad for medical attention adding that if the personnel and facilities overseas are not paid and maintained, would they go there, he asked.