Strike: Buhari's Ministers Should be Sacked, NARD President Replies Ngige
- Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, president of the National Association of Resident Doctors has replied Chris Ngige over his statement
- Okhuaihesuyi on Sunday, August 8, in an interview, faulted the minister's threat about replacing the striking doctors
- The medical personnel recently embarked on an indefinite industrial action to drive the demands of health workers in the country
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The president of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi on Monday, August 9, faulted Senator Chris Ngige's threat to replace striking resident doctors in the country.
Okhuaihesuyi while speaking on Channels Television Politics Today said that the people who deserve to resign or be sacked from their duties are Ngige, and the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire.
Source: Facebook
The NARD president in reaction to comments by the minister of labour and employment explained that both Ngige and Ehanire are responsible for putting the doctors in a position to go on strike.
He went on to urge Nigerians to tell those who are the cause of the strike that they have not done their work and should be sacked or resign from the positions they hold.
He said:
“The Minister of health, the Minister of Labour, the NDCM Registrar, Sanusi; they are the ones that should be held responsible for the strike we are on and something needs to be done to them. If they can do that to them, then they can implement the no-work no-pay policy.”
Minister of labour gives striking doctors ultimatum
Recall that the minister of labour and employment on Friday, August 6, had threatened to replace striking doctors if they refuse to return to work.
Ngige who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today invoked Section 43 of the Labour Law.
The minister had earlier stated that he had invoked Section 43 of the Labour Act which states, in part, that for the period a worker withdraws his services, the government or his employers are not entitled to pay.
This means an employer has a right to replace an employee who abandons their duties, especially as it pertains to essential services.
FG doesn’t negotiate until we go on strike - Resident doctor
Earlier, Dr Akanimo Ebong, the president of the Association of Resident Doctors at the National Hospital in Abuja, said the federal government barely considers negotiation with health workers until a strike is introduced.
Dr Ebong, a senior registrar at the National Hospital’s Department Of Obstetrics And Gynaecology, during an interview with Channels TV on Monday, August 2, said:
“Usually there is no negotiation done until we go on a strike."
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APC govs forum DG tackles Buhari's ministers over doctors’ strike
Meanwhile, Salihu Lukman, the director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) berated Ngige, and Ehanire, over the ongoing strike by doctors across the country.
Lukman in a statement on Sunday, August 8, said it is frustrating that the ministers cannot prevent strikes from happening.
He said loyal members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) must appeal to the two ministers to wake up to their responsibility and "end this political embarrassment".
Source: Legit.ng
