Resident doctors demand unpaid salaries

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Chapter, on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest demanding for their salaries.

The doctors said they were protesting over the no-work-no-pay policy of the Federal Government and asked for the payment of their September and October 2016 salaries.

Dr Ige Alexander, the President of the association, told newsmen that they have been short changed as some of their members were yet to receive salaries for the past six months.

“They say we love strike all the time but this is not the case and we are here to tell the masses and the government that our emoluments are being ignored.

“The Federal Government directive of no-work-no-pay policy is unfair as there are periods we worked and the government refused to pay,” he said.

Alexander also stated that there are frequent disparities in payment of members’ salaries, adding that resident doctors in Owerri and other places are having similar issues.

“What NARD is saying is that we are not strike mongers and the government needed to address issues bordering on salaries, non-funding of the resident training programmes as well as non-implementation of National Health Act to access quality healthcare by Nigerians,” he said.

The NARD president also debunked claims from the university management that their actions were borne from youthful exuberance.

“The lowest age in this association are practitioners in their 30s; we are senior staff, so the allegation is uncalled for,” he said.

He appealed to the Federal Government to re-think its policies on the no-work-no-pay, saying it is selective.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the association protested around the UITH vicinity and carried placards.

Some of the placards carried inscriptions such as: “CMD Sir, pay our Sept/Oct salaries!’’, “State doctors deserve their salaries!’’, and “FG must implement resident training programme”, among others.