Court Orders Resident Doctors To Suspend Strike

Court has ordered resident doctors to suspend their ongoing strike.

Gatekeepers News reports that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja division, has ordered the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to suspend its ongoing nationwide strike.

On August 1, the doctors embarked on strike action over “irregular payment of salaries”, among other issues.

However, efforts by the House of Representatives to mediate between the federal government of Nigeria and the striking doctors ended in a deadlock.

Afterwards, the federal government of Nigeria then instituted a suit against the association, asking the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining members of NARD from continuing with the industrial action.

The Judge, John Targema while ruling on the ex parte application on Monday, asked all parties in the suit to suspend all forms of hostilities and maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

Targema said: “Having looked especially on the affidavit of extreme urgency, the grounds of the application, the affidavit in support of 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 claimant/applicant and the defendant/respondent suspend all forms of hostilities forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

He further ordered that a hearing notice be issued and other processes be served on the defendant, including the originating summons.

The judge added that the proof of service should be kept in the case file before the next adjourned date.

Justice Targema, therefore, adjourned the matter to September 15 for a hearing of the motion on notice and/or any other pending application on its merit.

In reaction to this, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige described the ruling as a welcomed development.

Ngige reassured the affected doctors that the ruling will not prevent the Ministries of Health, Finance, Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) from the implementation of the agreements contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The MOU was reached at the last meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) where the association led three doctors’ associations to the negotiation on August 20.