Doctors who are members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have criticized the Federal Government’s warning to withhold seven days’ worth of pay from their salaries as punishment for going on strike to seek the release of their colleague who was kidnapped in December 2023.
Dr. Kefas Wida, the Vice President II of NARD and Chairman of the NARD Medical Education Committee, conveyed the doctors’ lack of concern regarding the threat of salary deduction in response to their strike action.
These resident doctors, in a recent seven-day warning strike, aimed to secure the freedom of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, who was abducted about nine months ago from the National Eye Centre in Kaduna.
Despite the government’s expressed disappointment and decision to dock their pay, Dr. Wida, when interviewed, reiterated the resolve of NARD members.
“As you all know what we stand for, we don’t blink when it comes to what we pursue, and we are not negotiating it. If removing from our salary will make us have our colleague back, which was the reason why we went on strike, we see this as the least sacrifice we can make to ensure that our colleague is back. Because for us, what is the whole salary to the life of our colleague? We do not see that as important.
“The life of our colleague is more important than the amount of money they are going to remove from the salaries of the doctors. Is this demand too much to ask for the life of somebody who is in agony and daily pain because she is a doctor?
“So you can see how insensitive this government is. Instead of addressing the main issue, they are trying to see how they can threaten us with the ‘no work, no pay’ policy. But I can assure you, our members don’t care.
“At the end of the day, if that can be done, then we can succeed in bringing back our colleague. We are far more satisfied than having our salary removed and having our colleague back. It is not something that we would have any regret for.”
Wida added that the association would not back down on its demand.
“Before we went on the strike, we knew those threats from the government. We are ready to pursue all our demands, we are ready for this,” he highlighted.
