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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has described as insensitive the Federal Government’s threat to deduct seven days’ pay from doctors’ salaries for going on strike to demand the rescue of their colleague kidnapped in December 2023.
The Vice President II of NARD and Chairman of the NARD Medical Education Committee, Dr. Kefas Wida, on Sunday, added that doctors were unmoved by the pay deduction threat.
The resident doctors had recently embarked on a seven-day warning strike to demand the rescue of their colleague, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, who was kidnapped almost nine months ago at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna.
In response, the Federal Government expressed disappointment at the doctors’ decision, stating that they would lose seven days’ pay.
According to the NARD leader Wida, the association is unwavering in its pursuit of its demands and is not open to negotiations.
Wida stated that if having their salaries reduced would result in the return of their abducted colleague, they would consider it a small sacrifice to ensure their colleague's safety, as the life of their colleague is more important than the amount of money that would be deducted from their salaries.
Wida also expressed that the government's focus on the "no work, no pay" policy is insensitive and that the association is prepared to continue their strike to achieve their goal of securing the release of their abducted colleague.
