By Stanley Onyekwere
The Association of Resident Doctors from the Federal Capital Territory, Administration (FCTA) Chapter, has concluded arrangement to commence an indefinite strike on August 25.
This was revealed in a statement jointly signed by its President, Michael Olarewaju and Secretary Roland Aigbovo, yesterday, in Abuja.
The Association said that the looming strike, follows the failure of FCT Administration to repay obnoxious tax deduction from July salaries of staff among other demands.
It noted that it had on August 1, 2018, issued a-21day ultimatum effective from August 3 to FCT administration, calling on the Minister, Muhammad Bello to address the issue.
It listed other demands to include payment of first 28 days allowance of members effective from 2011, as calculated without further delay.
Others included appropriate placement and payment of arrears to members who were successful in the 2016 promotion exercise.
“We totally reject the obnoxious and double taxation imposed on our members by FCTA management, which negates all scientific reasoning and Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The appropriate tax should be done using the Joint Tax Board/Personal Income Tax Act template and all excess deduction paid back.
“We will be compelled to proceed on an indefinite strike for the failure of the FCT administration to meet our demands on or before the expiration of the ultimatum which is August 24.
“Based on our investigations at the Health and Human Resources Service Secretariat, Federal Inland Revenue Services and FCT Inland Revenue Services.
“It was revealed that the obnoxious tax didn’t follow the PITA template or other conventional means of taxation.
“We have earlier written the FCT Minister on the myriad of problems faced daily by our members regarding conditions of work and services delivery in FCTA.
“This is largely due to poor remuneration in comparison with our contemporaries in other health institutions and Ministries, Departments and Agencies, both in the territory and other parts of the federation,” the statement stated.
