The leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Saturday night communicated its resolve to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike which commenced on Monday, 16th June 2020.
The NGF’s Head of Media & Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo disclosed this in a statement obtained by Tribune Online, explained that the NGF chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State brokered the truce during a meeting with the NARD Executive members led by its President and National Secretary, Dr Aliyu Sokomba and Dr Bilkisu.
“It was the very first time that NARD would be putting their grievances before the Forum.
“After listening to them, the NGF Chairman reminded the NARD executives of their Hippocratic oath and admonished them to always bring their conscience to the fore ‘because when you strike it is not the men in power that suffer but the common man on the streets.’
“Gov. Fayemi who commended them for remaining in the country to serve in spite of the abundant opportunities and lucrative offers that await them abroad, however, reminded them that government has always invested huge sums of money to train them.”
The NGF chairman who called for a review of the strike action argued that it would amount to a disservice for the Resident Doctors to flee their fatherland without giving their services in return.
Dr Fayemi also appealed to the Resident Doctors to call off the strike promising that the NGF would sit in a week’s time and consider their grievances along with all the other members of the Forum with a view to finding a lasting solution to those of their problems that are immediately possible for the Forum to tackle.
According to Bello-Barkindo, the doctors, led by their president, Dr Aliyu Sokomba and their National Secretary, Dr Bilkisu, left the NGF Secretariat with a promise to consult the members of their association to prevail on them to put their faith in the NGF and await the action of the governors on the matter.
“It is on that basis that the President reached out to the DG of the NGF this evening as they closed the NARD meeting to announce that they are calling off the strike to allow the governors to address their complaints,” the statement read.
By Kehinde Akintola,
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE