By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors have called on the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), with immediate effect, to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike which it said is taking a toll on the healthcare of Nigerians.
The APC Governors, however asked the Resident Doctors to negotiate with individual State Governments, saying that issues affecting Resident Doctors in Federal establishments should be negotiated with the relevant structures of the Federal Government.
Resident Doctors last Monday began indefinite nationwide strike over demands for improved conditions, payment of salaries ranging between 2 to 19 months by some state governments, failure to domesticate Medical Residency Training (MRT) Act 2017 in states, among others.
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.
To this end, 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 and called on all party members and leaders to continue to support 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 His Excellency, Bello Muhammad Matawalle as the twenty-second member of the Forum. Forum also congratulated His Excellency, 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 commiserate with His Excellency, Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State on the death of his father, Pa (Dr) Emmanuel Adesanya Abiodun. Members pray to God Almighty to 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 resolutions read in parts.
