The Nationwide Affiliation of Resident Doctors, NARD, on the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, has introduced its choice to join the continuing nationwide strike.
The choice was taken following a unprecedented common assembly of FMC Umuahia’s resident doctors, held on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Talking to the press on Friday, the state President of the affiliation, Dr Alaede Godwin, defined that the assembly was convened “to overview the NARD choice based mostly on the memorandum of understanding signed with the Federal Ministry of Well being and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, arising from NARD’s nineteenth demand, which addresses essential welfare, remuneration, {and professional} follow points affecting our members nationwide.”
He acknowledged, “As members of NARD, we’ll join the indefinite strike motion set to resume on January 12, 2026.”
“This decisive step follows the latest Nationwide Government Council, NEC, assembly, which resolved to take this motion due to the federal authorities’s persistent failure to tackle our respectable calls for.
“Regardless of intensive negotiations and the signing of the memorandum of understanding, our considerations stay unaddressed, leaving us with no alternative however to withdraw our providers.”
“We emphasize that this motion is just not taken evenly, and we remorse any inconvenience it might trigger the general public.”
“Nonetheless, we’re compelled to rise up towards the extended neglect of our members’ welfare and the way forward for medical follow in Nigeria, significantly relating to personnel and infrastructure.”
Dr Alaede additional defined that through the NEC assembly on January 2, 2026, the council noticed that the actions of the federal authorities and its businesses have been “at variance with, and opposite to, the clear and unambiguous memorandum of understanding signed earlier than the preliminary strike was suspended.”
“The NEC subsequently resolved to demand the next: Fast and unconditional reinstatement of the 5 doctors at FTH Lokoja, in keeping with the advice of the duly constituted committee.
“Immediate transmission of compiled promotional arrears owed to resident doctors throughout numerous establishments to the Funds Workplace and Federal Ministry of Finance for processing and cost.
“Fast transmission of compiled wage arrears owed to resident doctors in affected establishments to the Funds Workplace and Federal Ministry of Finance for pressing processing and cost.”
The NEC acknowledged, “After exhaustive deliberations, and in view of the federal authorities’s failure to honor the memorandum of understanding freely entered into to tackle the respectable calls for of NARD, we hereby resolve that the beforehand suspended complete and indefinite strike will resume from January 12 at 12:00 a.m.”
“All members within the 91 tertiary well being establishments, together with FMC Umuahia, are directed to withdraw their providers utterly and indefinitely, till the federal and affected state governments show real, concrete commitments to assembly the affiliation’s calls for.”
Dr Alaede added that the affiliation stays open to dialogue and should rethink its place if the federal government demonstrates sincerity in addressing their considerations.
He urged the federal authorities to act instantly to resolve the deadlock.
Assuring the general public of the doctors’ dedication to healthcare, he stated, “We is not going to compromise on our rights. We’re prepared to work with the federal government to discover a lasting answer.”
