By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
In a bid to press home their demands, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have issued a dual threat to begin a daily peaceful protest and to picket all health institutions at the federal and states levels.
In a notice signed by the NARD President, Dr. Orji Emeka Innocent and the Secretary General , Dr. Chikezie Kelechi, issued to newsmen ahead of the nationwide protests stated that it takes effect from Wednesday, 9thAugust 2023 at 10:00am.
NARD stated that it would embark on a daily peaceful protests and picketing of the Federal Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, as well as all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide.
According to the doctors, again, the protest became necessary to press home their demands which have been
largely neglected by our parent ministry and the federal government.
The notice read,” We are pained that rather than make genuine and concerted efforts to resolve the challenges that led to the industrial action despite repeated ultimatums, our parent ministry and the federal government have chosen to demonize the Nigerian resident doctors instead, after all their sacrifices and patriotism.”
“We therefore resolved that it is time the whole world hears our side of the story – the decay and corruption in the health sector as well as the neglect the public health institutions have suffered all these years that led to repeated industrial actions.”
“We believe that the government still has time to genuinely address the issues
at stake before Wednesday, 9th August 2023, or leave us with no other option.
