The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called on the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to suspend the impending industrial action while the House intervenes.
The Speaker made the appeal on Monday in Abuja at an intervention meeting with members of the Union.
He also sought their understanding of the fact that a new administration just came on board and was still in the process of settling down as Ministers are yet to assume office.
Abbas said the decision of the Union to meet with the leadership of the House waa an affirmation of their faith and confidence in the capacity of the House to intervene and resolve the lingering issues in dispute.
The Speaker noted that the leadership of the House felt honored for accepting to meet with the House even in the face of a looming strike action which notice has been issued according to available information.
According to him, This is most reassuring owing to the fact that the 9th Assembly had previously intervened in this matter. We hope to even go beyond the steps and actions taken by the previous House to ensure that we find a lasting resolution to the ever lingering crisis.
Abbas added that the leadership of the House was not unmindful of the many sacrifices Resident Doctors have continued to make in the health sector in spite of the many challenges they face and the poor conditions within which they work.
The Speaker stressed that while many of their colleagues have left the shores of the country in pursuit of better working conditions, you have chosen to remain behind in service to the fatherland.
He stated: “We commend you for this and assure you, that we would deploy every legislative instrument available to us to ensure that you are fully compensated and rewarded for this act of patriotism.
“Given your faith in us, I would urge you to suspend the impending industrial action while we intervene. We equally seek your understanding of the fact that a new administration just came on board and still in the process of settling down as Ministers are yet to assume office.”
The Speaker urged the Union to take advantage of this meeting to bare their minds on the issues at stake and suggest realistic solutions to them.
He added: “We must approach these issues with an open mind and guided by the fact that revenues available to the government may not fully meet our demands.
“Therefore, we must find a middle ground that satisfies everyone without prejudice to the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding.”
Abbas recalled that the demands of the Union included the payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund, upward review of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and salary arrears dating back to 2015.
He said these issues and more could be resolved without embarking on an industrial action.