Resident doctors under the North-Central caucus of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) have demanded the immediate reinstatement of their colleagues dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, Kogi State.
The caucus leader, Dr. Fanen Dogoh, made the demand on Friday during a news conference in Abuja, describing the sack of the affected doctors over alleged unauthorised protest and union activities as unjust and unacceptable.
Dogoh said the caucus was aware that several investigative and review committees had been set up to examine the matter, all of which reportedly recommended the reinstatement of the dismissed doctors.
He expressed concern that despite these recommendations and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Government and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), no concrete action had been taken.
According to him, the caucus is also disturbed by the persistent non-payment of allowances and salary arrears owed to resident doctors across several federal health institutions.
Dogoh specifically mentioned resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Benue State, who are allegedly owed up to 18 months’ arrears and other allowances, as well as similar cases in Ilorin, Kwara State.
He urged the Federal Government to urgently address all unresolved issues raised during engagements with NARD, warning that continued inaction could cripple healthcare delivery nationwide.
“If these issues are not resolved, we will have no option but to shut down services. These are the fundamental reasons why we are planning a strike,” Dogoh said.
He announced that resident doctors would commence an indefinite strike on Monday, January 12, 2026, if the government failed to honour the MoU.
Dogoh also criticised the government’s failure to respect the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), noting that negotiations had stalled and payment at the entry point for doctors remained unresolved.
He further stated that several outstanding allowances and arrears were not captured in the 2026 budget, describing the omission as a sign of systemic neglect that could lead to a mass exit of medical professionals from the country.
Also speaking, the Vice President II of NARD, Dr. Kwarshak Kelvin, warned that failure to address the welfare concerns of resident doctors could result in a total shutdown of the health system.
Kelvin said it was unclear whether accurate information on the plight of doctors was reaching President Bola Tinubu and appealed to him to intervene urgently.
He also faulted the delay by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare in transmitting promotion arrears for doctors in federal hospitals to the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance.
According to him, the professional allowance table released in November 2025, which took effect from June 2024, was supposed to be implemented in January 2026 but had stalled.
“That already translates to about 18 months of arrears. Government has not written to the Budget Office for inclusion in the 2026 budget, and implementation has not started,” Kelvin said.
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