Doctors Appeal to FG, PDP governors: Ask Gov Ikpeazu to pay 25 months’ salaries

THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the Federal Government to urge the governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to pay the 25 months’ salary arrears owed its members and other health workers at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH).

It also urged the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, the G-5 group of PDP Governors, and all well- meaning Nigerians to help draw the attention of the governor to the plight of the health workers in the ABSUTH.

While decrying the recurring owing of health workers’ salaries, the association also urged the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholder to prevail on the governors of Ekiti (three months), Imo (10 months) and Ondo (five months) states, to urgently pay arrears of salaries and allowances owed its members in the state tertiary Health institutions.

The President of NARD, Dr. Orji Innocent, in a communique issued after the Association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Akwa Ibom, also urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to with immediate effect investigate and arrest the perpetrators of the illegal shooting at one of its members in Delta State, and to ensure they are adequately punished.

The association gave the IGP a two-weeks to get this done, as it would review the situation at the expiration of the two weeks, and a stand would be taken thereafter if the response is not satisfactory.

The association expressed its shock at the unlawful use of firearms exhibited by men of the Nigeria Police Force attached to a politician based in Warri, Delta State, who shot at one of its members while driving behind their convoy in a branded vehicle belonging to the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Oghara, Delta State.

He said: “The NEC accepted in principle, the proposal by the government to pay update course and examination fees to the examination bodies provided that the West African Colleges are especially catered for in this arrangement based on the candidate’s preferred examination body.

“The NEC also demands that our members who have already paid update course and examination fees for 2023 should be refunded by the colleges once the funds are made available to them.

“The NEC urges the Federal Government to commence the process of payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for 2023 to enable our members to use the funds for the February update courses and the March/April/May examinations. This should be made using the secular released by NSIWC on 27th January 2023.”

“The NEC, however, wishes to remind the government of the few persons yet to be paid the nine months arrears as well as the yet to be paid four months arrears of the hazard allowance owed all our members. The NEC urges the Government to hasten efforts to complete these payments to avoid the recurrence of these issues in future engagements with NARD.

“The NEC asks the Federal Government to urgently pay the skipping arrears for 2014, 2015, and 2016, as well as the shortfall from the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage to deserving members as the patience of the Association is waning concerning this matter.

“The NEC demands that the activities of the committee set up for the review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) be hastened and that NARD should be carried along in the processes for her inputs to be made to avoid unnecessary outcomes.”

(TNT)