APC Govs to Resident Doctors: End strike, take on defaulting state govts

Tom Okpe, Abuja

Governors elected on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to suspend the ongoing strike which is taking a toll on the healthcare of Nigerians.

The APC Governors, however, asked the Resident Doctors to negotiate with individual State Governments and issue affecting Doctors in Federal establishments with relevant structures of the Federal Government.

Resident Doctors, ten days earlier began indefinite nationwide strike over demands for improved conditions, payment of salaries ranging between 2-19 months by some state governments, failure to domesticate Medical Residency Training (MRT) Act 2017 in states, among others.

The Daily Times gathered that the ongoing indefinite strike by NARD is dispute largely with state governments and specifically, Abia, Imo, Ondo and Ekiti States which have been identified as the states with poor conditions for the Doctors.

APC Governors under the ageis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) at the end of their meeting in Abuja adopted the initiative of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to hold

consultations with the leadership of the Resident Doctors and the Federal Government.

The PGF in its resolutions signed by the Chairman and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku-Bagudu, reaffirmed support for the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee under the leadership of Governor Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe State, call on all party members and leaders to continue supporting them to conclude the task of re-organising the leadership of the party.

The Forum expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership and further reaffirmed support for the implementation of initiatives of the APC Federal Government in line with provisions of APC manifesto.

“The meeting formally welcomes Bello Muhammad Matawalle as the twenty-second member of the Forum, also, congratulating Babagana Umara Zulum for being awarded the second highest National Honour of de Grand Dans I’Ordre of Niger Republic, which is equivalent to Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

“Members àlso, commiserated with Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State on the death of his father, Pa (Dr) Emmanuel Adesanya Abiodun, praying that God Almighty reward all the good works of Pa Abiodun, forgive his limitations, bless what he left behind and grant the family the fortitude to bear this heavy loss,” the resolution said.