Doctors Don Dey Mobilise For Saturday Strike Over N38bn Unpaid Allowance

Di President of di Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, don talk say di Federal Government still dey owe doctors and other health workers for Nigeria about N38 billion unpaid allowances. Suleiman talk dis one for Abuja during press briefing wey follow after di expiration of di 30-day ultimatum wey NARD give government. He talk say doctors don already start ward round and patient handover ahead of di total and indefinite nationwide strike wey go start Saturday, November 1, 2025. According to am, di money wey dem never pay no be only for resident doctors but also affect all health workers from doctors to admin staff. He yarn say di allowance wey government owe reach from two years to even ten years old, plus dem never review doctors’ basic salary for 16 years. He talk say government still never pay di 25–35% CONMESS review, accoutrement allowance, and other entitlements. Di NARD boss add say for all health workers, di total money reach N35–38bn, while resident doctors alone dey owed around N400m.

Suleiman talk say doctors don tire as dem don dey work more but still dey collect same stagnant salary for 16 years. He remind say dem get 19-point demand wey dem submit give government since September but government never show political will to act. He explain say NARD NEC don meet via Zoom on October 25, 2025, and observe say government never pay arrears from di CONMESS review, accoutrement allowance, and di reinstatement of five resident doctors wey Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja sack. Di doctors dey also demand make government upgrade hospital infrastructure, implement one-for-one replacement policy, pay specialist allowance, and include house officers for civil service scheme. NARD don declare say all resident doctors for federal and state hospitals go start total strike from midnight, November 1, 2025, until government meet dia demands. Dr. Suleiman beg President Bola Tinubu to use him good heart to enter di matter. He talk say, “Mr. President, dem dey pay themselves, na we wey dey work dem no dey pay. Abeg, as father of di nation, help us settle dis wahala once and for all.”