The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has vowed to continue with its strike action despite a court order.
The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the association to suspend its strike, which commenced on August 2, 2021.
Justice John Targema made the order while delivering his ruling on an ex parte application brought before the court by the Federal Government.
The court stated that the application was granted after carefully considering the processes filed by the applicants.
Justice Targema had stated, “Having looked especially at the affidavit of extreme urgency, the grounds of the application, the affidavit in support of the same and arguments of counsel for the applicant, I also weighed the submissions and arguments of counsel on the law as it stands on this application, it is hereby ordered that the claimant/applicant and the defendant/respondent suspend all forms of hostilities forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
He also ordered the issuance and service of hearing notice for the motion on notice to be served.
Recall that the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, had filed an ex parte motion praying the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining the members of NARD in all the states of the federation from continuing with the strike action.
In the affidavit supporting its application, the Federal Government had argued that the matter at stake bordered on life and death, and was an urgent one, which needed the court’s intervention.
But NARD, last night, said its members would not suspend the ongoing strike despite the order of the National Industrial Court.
National President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH.
Okhuaihesuyi said the association had not received any order and would therefore not suspend the industrial action.
“We have not received any order; we only saw the news on social media. We will not be resuming work,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Nigerian Medical Association will be faithfully implemented.
It noted that the judgment of the National Industrial Court directing the striking resident doctors to resume work would not affect the implementation of the MoU, which was inked on Saturday.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, gave the assurance in his reaction to the court order, according to a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Charles Akpan.
It was titled, ‘Court orders striking doctors to resume work immediately’.
The statement said, “Ngige, however, reassured the affected doctors that the ruling will not prevent the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the Federation, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages and Commission from the implementation of the agreements contained in the Memorandum of Understanding reached at the last meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association and affiliate associations with timelines affixed to them.”
