The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has directed its members to resume work on Monday, following a seven-day nationwide warning strike.
The strike action was in response to the abduction of their colleague, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola. Dr. Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, was kidnapped eight months ago.
The strike, which began last Monday, was initiated to press for the immediate rescue of Dr. Popoola, who was abducted along with her husband and nephew on December 27, 2023.
While her husband was released in March, Dr. Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, confirmed the suspension of the strike in an interview on Sunday. He noted that the association would closely monitor the federal government’s efforts to meet their demands over the next three weeks.
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“We are suspending the strike now. We will be meeting to review the progress the government has made in the next three weeks. We are resuming on Monday, September 2, 2024, at 8 a.m.
The engagement of the government has been a little bit better. But we are hopeful that they will sustain this current line of action,” Dr. Abdullahi said.
The Federal Government had previously threatened to invoke a ‘no work, no pay’ policy in response to the strike, but the doctors remained undeterred, emphasizing the urgency of rescuing their colleague.
The strike has drawn attention to the growing security challenges faced by medical professionals in Nigeria, as well as the broader issue of kidnapping in the country.
NARD has vowed to review the government’s commitment to resolving their demands in the coming weeks, leaving the possibility of further action on the table if progress is not made.