The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the federal government’s claim that ₦11.9 billion has been approved for the payment of outstanding arrears and allowances owed to doctors and other health workers, describing the figure as misleading.
NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said on Sunday that only about ₦500 million of the stated amount is actually meant for resident doctors.
According to him, the government’s claim does not reflect the reality of the agreement reached with the association. “It’s only ₦6 billion that was agreed to be released within 72 hours, not ₦11.9 billion. Out of that, ₦2.9 billion is for accoutrement allowance — and only ₦500 million of it goes to resident doctors,” he explained.
He added that the remaining funds were meant for consultants’ non-clinical duty allowances and COVID-19 arrears for other health workers.
Suleiman clarified that the so-called accoutrement allowance is not a new intervention but a long-standing entitlement that has been pending for over two years.
He accused the Ministry of Health of presenting the payments in a way that made it appear as though all of NARD’s demands had been met. “From what I know, only about ₦500 million directly affects resident doctors,” he said.
The NARD president also faulted the ministry’s handling of the dismissal of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, saying the association was not consulted in the review process.
“We don’t know the professor they mentioned or the process being used. Those five doctors were union leaders targeted because of their activities,” Suleiman stated, insisting that NARD only requested their reinstatement, not litigation.
He further questioned the ministry’s recruitment claims, demanding transparency. “They said 20,000 health workers were recruited last year and another 15,000 this year. They should show the breakdown — how many are doctors, how many are nurses, and where they are posted,” he said.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Suleiman commended the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, for his prompt response to the financial aspects of the doctors’ grievances.
Resident doctors across 91 federal and state hospitals remain on strike over unpaid arrears, delayed allowances, and other welfare-related issues.
