4th Muharram, 1443 AH
13th August, 2021
The leadership of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto, is worried and concerned about the ongoing strike of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which has increased the burden of vulnerable Nigerians.
Without prejudice to the legitimacy of the demands of the NARD, we urge the Association to, in the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath to which members subscribe and in consideration of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country, suspend the industrial action while negotiation with the government continues.
The Council pleads with the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity to reconsider the Ministry’s stance to abandon negotiations with the doctors. The anger of the government side, no matter its basis, has not ameliorated the suffering of ordinary Nigerians who are helpless victims of the logjam.
The government, therefore, has to vigorously and sincerely re-engage the leadership of NARD in a manner that would inspire the confidence of the medical doctors in the negotiation. The Federal Government also has a duty to coordinate the responses of other tiers of government towards addressing the grievances of the doctors.
While commending the intervention of the National Assembly and other concerned Nigerians, we urge the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to intensify negotiations with a view to finding a lasting solution to the fundamental issues raised by the doctors.
In the meantime, the Council urges the Doctors to suspend the current strike to allow for meaningful negotiation.
Signed
Arc. Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu
Director of Administration
