The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCT), has embarked on a seven-day warning strike to protest unresolved issues in the health sector.
Announcing the action in Abuja, ARD-FCT President, Dr. George Ebong, said the decision followed resolutions at an emergency meeting on Friday, September 5. He explained that despite several rounds of dialogue, the FCT Administration had failed to address long-standing concerns.
Issues raised include lack of manpower, poor welfare, unpaid salaries, unexplained deductions, and the psychological toll of long working hours. Ebong noted that no new employment has taken place since 2011, leaving doctors to cover multiple departments. He recalled that the pressure of excessive workload recently led to the death of a doctor in Port Harcourt.
The association also cited unsafe conditions, pointing to a nurse who died from a snake bite in Abaji General Hospital. “The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has been notified severally of the issues affecting doctors but has allegedly turned a blind eye,” Ebong said. He urged the administration to declare a state of emergency across the 14 district and general hospitals in the FCT.
The strike, he stressed, will be uninterrupted. “If after seven days the issues raised are not resolved, the doctors will embark on an indefinite strike,” he warned, adding that decision-making must include frontline health professionals.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Isaq Salako, expressed optimism that ongoing talks with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) could avert a nationwide strike. “The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued an ultimatum, but I believe with the level of conversation ongoing, we had a meeting on Monday; we are making progress,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
He explained that the main issue remains the residency training allowance, about 40 percent of which for 2025 is yet to be paid. “That is my hope, and that is what we are working on,” he added.
