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In order to help the current administration pay the backlog of unpaid salaries, medical physicians in Abia State on Friday decided to halt their six-month-old strike.
At a news conference in Umuahia, Dr. Isaiah Abali, Chairman of the NMA's Abia Chapter, made the announcement about the suspension.
The physicians stated in a statement co-signed by Abali and Secretary Daniel Ekeleme that they chose to reach out to the present administration in an effort to find a solution to the problem.
In order to stop the recent nasty trend, the statement stated that "it is our intention that the government will accelerate action on payment of the salaries as promised.
"The current state government, led by Dr. Alex Otti, has pledged in a number of forums to pay off all wage arrears owing to physicians in Abia by December 31.
"His Special Adviser on Health emphasized the pledge to pay off these wages at a meeting with the NMA Abia State Executive on Friday, June 2.
"In his inauguration address, the current governor urged physicians to call off their strike and return to work while giving him the benefit of the doubt that he would pay their wages as agreed. This was done through his Special Adviser on Health."
The chairman revealed that the salaries owing to the Hospitals Management Board (HMB), the Ministry of Health, and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) were 23, 16, and two months behind, respectively.
He said that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu's most recent government had not made any realistic or acceptable commitments on salary payments.
