NMA soft-pedals on strike, gives fresh 4-week ultimatum

Muda Oyeniran, Lagos - 02.03.2008

Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Saturday evening extended its earlier February 29 ultimatum to embark on an industrial action by four weeks. Also, the NMA has disassociated itself with the on- going industrial action by its affiliate, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) saying it does not recognize any of the two factional national leadership of the association.

Announcing these in Lagos , the National President of NMA, Dr, Daniel Gana said the extension was to allow for more dialogue with the government. Regretting that government’s response was initially slow until pointed out that the attitude of government led to disenchantment by the rank and file of the association.

His words, “At the expiration of the self- giving ultimatum of February 29th 2008 by government to conclude all arrangement for a new welfare package for health workers, no such package has been delivered to the health sector. We however, take cognizance of the efforts of the technical committee of the health ministry, comprising the honourable minister of health, the National Assembly and the Presidency/office of the Secretary to the Federal Government in the reports prepared and the invitation to begin a higher level negotiation on these reports.”

Gana further added that though they have serious objections to these reports but the association is ready to begin further negotiations and provide unassailable evidence of the corrections of other demands. “In the light of this, we hereby extend the ultimatum to government by four weeks believing that all issues related to the problem would have been resolved by then,” he added

He further revealed that the emergency delegates meeting (EDM) would however meet after four weeks to review the options of the association. Disassociating it self, from industrial action by resident doctors, Gana condemned the series of industrial actions by local branches of ARD all over the country and explained that NMA had tried to intervene at different times to ensure that medical services are not completely paralyzed.