The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has vowed to sustain its ongoing strike until all outstanding demands are met, accusing the government of failing to honour repeated promises made to the union.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, lamented that despite several interventions and assurances from authorities, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the National Assembly, none of the key issues raised months ago had been implemented.
“The strike, which we suspended six weeks ago following the minister’s intervention, has resumed because the government failed to fulfil its promises,” Ebong said. “Unfortunately, none of our demands have been implemented. We’re back to where we were before; nothing has been positive yet.”
The association, comprising doctors across 14 district and general hospitals under the FCTA, began the industrial action on Saturday, aligning with the decision of its national body, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), to embark on an indefinite strike.
Ebong decried the persistent delay in salary payments and other unmet obligations to doctors.
“Today, being the 3rd of November, we have not even been paid last month’s salary. It has become a culture in FCTA that salaries are not paid as of when due,” he said. “We get salaries the following month, sometimes in the first or second week. When our counterparts in other institutions are paid promptly, ours are incomplete or delayed.”
He also accused the administration of neglecting several critical issues affecting doctors’ welfare and motivation.
“We have begged the management to fix these issues, knowing how important they are for doctors to practise with passion. Unfortunately, this has not happened,” he added.
According to Ebong, 28 doctors employed in 2023 are still being owed salaries despite multiple meetings and letters to the management.
“We’ve tried to get this money paid since January of this year. Even though they’ve been owed for more than a year, up till now they have not been paid,” he said.
Similarly, newly employed external resident doctors, engaged about seven months ago, have reportedly not received any pay, forcing some to abandon their posts due to financial hardship.
The association further expressed concern over the non-payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for about 142 doctors, despite federal approval.
“This fund helps doctors prepare for their exams and improve their skills. It will be necessary to ensure that no name is skipped from that list,” Ebong noted.
He also criticised what he described as unfair recruitment practices within the FCTA, arguing that the management was employing doctors on the wrong salary grade level.
“The management is trying to employ doctors on CONMESS two instead of CONMESS three. No one wants to accept that because CONMESS two pays about ₦200,000 monthly,” he said. “We are begging them to revert to CONMESS three, step three, as it is done in other federal institutions.”
The doctors also lamented the worsening condition of healthcare infrastructure across FCTA hospitals, describing the situation as demoralising.
Ebong stressed that the FCT chapter would not suspend its strike, even if the national body of NARD ends its industrial action.
“Our situation in FCTA is peculiar. Even if NARD suspends its strike today, we will continue ours until our demands are met. We have been patient enough,” he declared.
The doctors appealed to Minister Wike to intervene urgently, alleging that some officials within the FCTA were deliberately obstructing the implementation of his directives.
“We believe the Honourable Minister may not have the full picture. It is disappointing that despite his approval, certain persons are holding back implementation. We appeal to him to act decisively,” Ebong said. “We can’t fix the medical system on the pages of newspapers. These problems must be fixed on the ground. We are ready to work, but we can’t give what we don’t have.”
The association listed its demands to include:
Immediate payment of all outstanding salary arrears to members employed since 2023.
Commencement of recruitment of new doctors with time-bound commitments to conclude before the end of 2025.
Immediate payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
Correction of irregular salary payments and erroneous deductions.
Clear timelines for skipping and conversion within one month.
Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding mandating the skipping of members within three months of employment.
Conversion of post-Part II Fellows to Consultant cadre within six months of passing.
Release of promotion timelines and full payment of arrears within one month.
Immediate payment of wage award arrears as done for federal and state doctors.
Payment of arrears from the 25/35 per cent CONMESS review, and renovation of FCTA hospitals to acceptable standards.
Immediate payment of 13 months’ hazard allowance arrears and all outstanding arrears owed to 2025 external residents.
