Resident doctors have ended their seven-day warning strike, which was initiated in response to the abduction of their colleague, Ganiyat Popoola. The strike, which began last Monday, faced strong resistance from the Federal Government, which had threatened to implement the ‘No work, no pay’ policy.
Despite the government’s dissatisfaction with the strike and its ongoing efforts to address the situation, the doctors continued their action until its scheduled end. The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dele Abdullahi, announced that the strike would conclude today, September 2, 2024, at 8 am.
Abdullahi stated that the association would evaluate the government’s progress over the next three weeks to ensure substantial advancements are made. He noted, “We are suspending the strike now. We will meet to review the progress the government has made in the next three weeks. The engagement has improved slightly, but we hope this positive trend continues.”
The strike was triggered by the government’s failure to secure the release of Ganiyat Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna. Popoola was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, alongside her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
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