Strike: Senate Appeals to FCT Doctors, Vows to Engage Wike

The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils and Ancillary Matters has urged members of the FCT chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to call off their ongoing strike.

The committee assured the doctors that urgent steps would be taken to engage the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, in order to address their grievances and reach a resolution.

At an emergency meeting on Thursday, the committee, chaired by Senator David Jimkuta (Taraba South), met with the leadership of the striking doctors.

Senators pledged to escalate the matter directly to the FCT Minister and emphasized that the doctors’ concerns were receiving attention.

Senator Jimkuta, while acknowledging the negative impact of the strike on healthcare delivery in the capital, pleaded with the doctors to return to work as dialogue continues.

He said: “We are pleading with you, please return to work and continue saving lives. I will personally meet with the Minister tomorrow. I am confident that something concrete will come out of it. We cannot stand by while people die because doctors are on strike.”

The senator commended the doctors for what he described as a selfless struggle, stressing that their demands were aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s ailing healthcare system rather than pursuing personal benefits.

The FCT chapter of NARD had declared an indefinite strike last week over unresolved issues, including unpaid salary arrears from 2023, unexplained deductions from allowances, and the non-upgrade of resident doctors who have completed specialist training but are still being paid as medical officers.

The committee further proposed a joint session involving the National Assembly, the FCT health administration, and representatives of the doctors to enable direct negotiations and ensure a lasting solution.