The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Hon. Amos Magaji, has announced that the committee will now play a direct oversight role in future negotiations between the Federal Government (FG) and medical unions, to ensure that agreements reached are transparent, realistic, and reflected in the national budget.
Magaji while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, the chairman said talks had begun with the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to address the ongoing crisis.
“We have started engaging with them,” Magaji added that any agreement reached concerning their salaries or allowances must be shared with them and reflect on the national budget.
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He blamed repeated strikes on insincere negotiations, where agreements were made hastily and rarely honoured. He further highlighted that FG goes into agreement with the aim of ending strike without implementation.
Magaji said the committee would assess the doctors’ demands and hold relevant ministries accountable for implementation.
“We will put the Federal Government, especially the Ministry of Health and all responsible bodies in check to ensure that whatever they have agreed with the union is implemented in the budget,” he assured.
He added that the House was determined to ensure “this time around, whatever agreement is made, it will be implemented,” signalling a stronger legislative intervention in managing labour disputes in the health sector.
His remarks come amid the ongoing nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, which commenced after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government over unresolved welfare issues.
NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, said in a statement that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) decided to embark on the strike after a five-hour deliberation, citing the government’s failure to meet its demands.
“The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” the statement read partly.
Recalled that on 1 November, residents doctor embarked on nationwide strike.
