The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says more than 2,000 of its members have not received arrears of the 25–35 per cent consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) adjustment, despite federal government claims that outstanding payments have been cleared.
Mohammad Suleman, NARD president, made the disclosure on Friday during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television.
He says assertions by the federal government that seven of the union’s 19 demands had been met, including the full settlement of seven months’ arrears of the CONMESS adjustment is not true. Suleman insisted that many resident doctors had yet to benefit.
“On the seven months’ arrears of 25–35 per cent, we still have over 2,000, almost 3,000 of our members who are yet to be paid those arrears,” he said.
Suleman noted that payment of the arrears has repeatedly been tied to service-wide vote funding, arguing that the remuneration of health workers should not depend on ad hoc financial provisions.
“In 2023, it was said to be put inside the service-wide vote if it wasn’t paid. In 2024, it was put in the service-wide vote; in 2025, it was again put there.
“The President had to make special provision when doctors agitated for that money to be paid.
“Are we saying these arrears have to go through that route of waiting for service-wide vote after service-wide vote and waiting for the President of the country to specifically intervene before they are captured in the budget?” Suleman said.
The NARD president added that negotiations with the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health were continuing and expressed optimism that movement could be made before the weekend.
“Right now, we are in discussions with the Federal Government team. I would hope that from tonight to tomorrow, to Sunday, a lot of things are going to be done in the proper way.
“So that the National Executive Council will now look at it, not in the context of court injunctions and ‘no work, no pay,’ but in the context of what has been done and the evidence that good faith is on the table,” he said.
Suleman maintained that the court injunction stopping the planned strike would not dampen members’ determination to press forward.
“I am making it very clear that the resolve of our members is not shaken by all these. All these were factored into the decision to embark on this strike,” he said.
Asked whether the nationwide shutdown scheduled to start on Monday would still proceed, he pointed to the union’s internal processes.
“Unless the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors says otherwise,” he stated.
He also questioned whether attention was being paid to the welfare impact on frontline workers and patients.
“Are we ignoring the sufferings that doctors are going through in this country? Are we ignoring the suffering that patients go through because doctors are exhausted, frustrated and have difficulties executing their jobs?” he asked.
Earlier, the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja restrained NARD and its members from commencing the January 12 strike.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim issued the ruling following a motion presented by the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation, based on submissions from the Ministry of Justice.
Despite this, NARD reiterated plans to embark on a total, indefinite and comprehensive walkout, citing failure by government to honour a Memorandum of Understanding signed after the suspension of a previous strike on November 29.
The association said the strike would only be called off once all its demands were met, rejecting suggestions of political influence behind its action.