The North-Central caucus of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) on Friday demanded the immediate reinstatement of their colleagues dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, Kogi State.

 

 

 

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, caucus leader Dr Fanen Dogoh said the affected doctors were sacked over allegations of unauthorised protest and union activities, describing the action as unjust and unacceptable.

 

 

 

 

Dogoh said the caucus was aware that several committees had been set up to review the matter, all of which reportedly recommended the reinstatement of the dismissed doctors. He added that despite these recommendations and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Government and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the government had failed to act.

 

 

 

He also expressed concern over unpaid allowances and arrears owed to resident doctors in several federal institutions. He cited doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Benue State, who are allegedly owed 18 months’ arrears and other allowances, as well as their counterparts in Ilorin, Kwara State.

 

 

 

 

Dogoh urged the Federal Government to urgently address all unresolved issues raised during engagements with NARD, warning that failure to do so could lead to a nationwide shutdown of resident doctors’ services. He said the association would commence a strike on Monday, January 12, if the government failed to honour the MoU.

 

 

 

“Government must look into these issues and resolve them. These are some of the fundamental reasons why we are planning a strike. Another critical issue is payment at the entry point of doctors. Government must also respect the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has remained stalled and requires urgent resumption,” he said.

 

 

 

He further noted that some outstanding allowances and arrears were not captured in the 2026 budget, describing this as a sign of neglect that could drive many doctors out of the country.

 

 

 

 

 

Also speaking, Vice President II of NARD, Dr Kwarshak Kelvin, called on the Federal Government to urgently address the welfare concerns of resident doctors or risk a total shutdown of the health system. He said it was unclear whether accurate information about doctors’ welfare was reaching President Bola Tinubu and appealed to him to intervene.

 

 

 

Kelvin also urged the Minister of Health and Social Welfare to transmit promotion arrears for doctors in federal hospitals to the appropriate authorities for payment or inclusion in the budget. He said delays in transmitting promotion letters to the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance had stalled the entire process.

 

 

 

He raised concerns over the professional allowance table released in November 2025, which took effect from June 2024. According to him, implementation was expected to begin in January 2026, amounting to about 18 months of arrears.

 

 

 

“However, the government has not written to the Budget Office for this to be captured in the 2026 budget, nor has implementation commenced. This effectively means

the process has been halted,” he said.