Minister Ngige Says Demands Made By Resident Doctors ‘Absurd’

Federal Minister of Labour and Employment of Nigeria, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, pointed out that the demands of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to the Federal Government are "absurd," noting that they have a "sense of entitlement."

While doctors gave a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government on Saturday to fulfill all their demands, Minister Ngige slammed those demands on Monday.

Ngige disclosed that the demands include an immediate increment in salaries by 200% and they want an immediate withdrawal of the bill that seeks them to render their service in the country for give-year before getting a full license to practice.

Speaking on Arise Television, Ngige noted that the demands are absurd and said that they have the option to leave the country.

"If the NARD, who we have been managing their matter...We are giving them everything they want, including their Medical Resident Training Fund; we are paying them, even when in training, paying them full salary, paying them all the allowances and you decided that we have not done enough," the minister said," Punch reported.

"Like I said before, you have an option to go," he added. "It is left for the education ministry and the health ministry to fashion out what they can do."

The minister explained that the doctors "asked that a bill by one of the members of the House of Representatives be removed and that is one of the reasons" they went on strike.

"How can the government tell a member who has done a private member's bill," he said. "It is not even an executive bill, you now release it as one of the conditions of going on strike; that is absurd!"

Ngige explained that it is nothing but "entitlements syndrome," adding that the sense of entitlement is too much in this country. He added that individuals who obey the law and apply the law look like "wicked" people.

"I don't have any apologies for whatever I have done in the management of trade disputes," he said.

Following the minister's statement, NARD told Punch that every association has the right to ask for a salary increment.

Dr. Chikezie Kelechi, who serves as the Secretary-General of NARD, reacted to the statement and said that they don't have any entitlement mentality and their demands are not absurd.

"The Medical Residency Training Fund has been there and has been paid about three times now," Kelechi told the outlet. "It is paid once a year and it was approved in 2017 and did not take effect until about three years ago. Even those three years, every time it is paid, there is a threat of a strike."

Kelechi claimed that the government does not want to pay, and as a result, every year they have to threaten the government with a strike. NARD's secretary-general noted that they are tired of getting the government to do the work that they are supposed to do on their own.

"When has demanding our rights become an entitlement mentality?" Kelechi questioned. "When he said the government is providing everything we need, what exactly is being provided?"

He concluded, "The Consolidated Medical Salary Structure was approved in 2009 but did not take effect until 2014 and it was meant to be reviewed in five years but it started implementation in the next five years. We are in 2023, the salary structure has not been reviewed despite the inflation."