The Association of Resident Doctors under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has vowed to continue its ongoing strike until all pending demands are addressed by the government.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, said the doctors were left with no choice but to resume their suspended industrial action due to the government’s consistent failure to honour agreements reached earlier in the year.
Ebong recalled that the strike was suspended six weeks ago following the intervention of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the National Assembly, who gave assurances that all outstanding issues would be resolved within specific timelines. However, none of those commitments have been fulfilled.
“Unfortunately, none of our demands have been implemented. We’re back to where we were before; nothing has been positive yet,” Ebong lamented.
He further decried the irregular payment of salaries, stating that doctors under the FCTA often receive their wages late and incomplete.
“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. We get the month’s salary the following month, and even then, it’s never complete,” he said.
The association also revealed that 28 doctors employed in 2023 were still being owed salaries despite repeated appeals to the management. Similarly, newly hired external resident doctors have not been paid for over seven months, forcing some to abandon their posts due to financial hardship.
ARD-FCTA also expressed concern over the non-payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for about 142 doctors, which it said had been approved at the federal level but not implemented in the FCTA.
The doctors further criticized attempts by the management to employ new recruits on a lower salary scale, describing the move as demoralizing. “We are begging that they reverse the entry level of doctors to CONMESS 3, Step 3, as it is done in other federal institutions,” Ebong said.
He added that inadequate manpower and deteriorating infrastructure have worsened the state of healthcare in FCTA hospitals, stressing that the situation threatens quality service delivery.
The association maintained that its strike would continue even if the national body, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), calls off its industrial action, insisting that its grievances were peculiar to the FCTA.
“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,” Ebong declared.
The doctors urged Minister Wike to intervene decisively, alleging that some senior officials may be deliberately obstructing the implementation of his earlier approvals.
Among their key demands are:
- Immediate payment of outstanding salary arrears for members employed since 2023.
- Full payment of the 2025 MRTF.
- Recruitment of new doctors with time-bound commitments.
- Reversal of entry-level appointments to CONMESS 3, Step 3.
- Payment of hazard allowance arrears, wage awards, and outstanding salary deductions.
- Upgrading and renovation of FCTA hospitals to global standards.
ARD-FCTA concluded by reaffirming its readiness to return to work once the government demonstrates genuine commitment through concrete actions rather than verbal assurances.
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