Abuja — The Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) has brokered a truce between the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the federal government leading to the former calling off its strike which commenced at the beginning of the week.
The entire executives of the NARD were at the NGF Secretariat Abuja on Thursday at the instance of the Director General of the Forum, Mr. Asishana Bayo Okauru, where they met with the chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi and later the Governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde and expressed their grievances.
The head of NGF media said that Fayemi appealed to the NARD to call off the strike promising that the governors would sit in a week's time and consider their grievances with a view to finding a lasting solution to issues that are immediately possible for the forum to tackle.
Labour minister Chris Ngige said the payment which covers hazard and inducement allowances for April and May was made with the expectation that it would ameliorate the plight of resident doctors across the country who went on strike on Monday over unpaid salaries and allowances.
"Just this morning, before we went to see Mr President, the Ministry of Finance reported that as at this morning, 3 a.m., they have paid the allowances for hazard and inducement to 31 teaching and Federal Medical Centres and specialist hospitals of the federal government service and they have expended close to N4.5 billion in the payment because, we are paying them the arrears of April and May.
