Foremost human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana will be representing the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in their legal battle with the Federal Government. The chairman of Communication and Communique of the NARD, Dr Julian Ojebo, disclosed this on Monday.
On August 16, barely two weeks after the resident doctors started the strike, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, through the Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, took the doctors to the National Industrial Court to explain why the “no work no pay” rule should not be applied against them. The court however adjourned the case till September 15, 2021.
The NARD started the strike on August 2, 2021, after the Federal Government failed to fulfill its agreement made with them through a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Chief among the 12 demands by the doctors are: the payment of salaries owed 114 House Officers who are on the GIFMIS platform, withdrawal of the circular by the Head of Service removing House Officers from the Scheme of Service, payment of death in service insurance benefits to families of 21 doctors who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty, among other demands.