The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has said it has met 90 percent of the demands made by resident doctors in its employment, pending full implementation of the remaining issues.
Mandate Secretary of the Health and Environment Services Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, stated this in Abuja while reacting to claims by the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD-FCTA, that none of their demands had been met, despite suspending their strike on September 22 following Senate intervention.
“I want to make it categorically clear that the Honourable Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has approved 90 percent of their demands, and this is verifiable.
“On paper, approval has been given to their requests, and I have the document with me. The remaining 10 percent is left for the Minister to handle.”
She attributed the delay to bureaucratic processes within government, noting that the administration was committed to ensuring full implementation.
“It is a systemic process, and if it appears slow, it is due to government bureaucracy. However, with this renewed attention, we will follow up with the Minister to fast-track implementation,” she added.
Fasawe appealed to the resident doctors to exercise patience and communicate formally with the administration through a follow-up letter indicating reasonable timelines.
Her reaction is coming shortly after the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, commenced a nationwide strike from October 31, to press home their 19-point demands covering welfare, allowances, promotion arrears, working hours and other key issues.
However, while admitting that doctors in the public sector were not adequately remunerated, Fasawe assured that the government was working to improve welfare and curb the ‘Japa’ syndrome by introducing reforms to retain health professionals in the country.
“Reforms in the health sector cannot be achieved overnight, but progress is being made gradually,” she said.
Fasawe also urged the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, to formally write to the FCT Minister over its request for an access road to its landed property at Mamusa North District, Sabon Lugbe.
