By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to resume industrial action if the Federal Government fails to fully implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it previously signed with the body.
This was contained in a statement issued on Friday, January 2, by NARD after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held to determine the next steps under what it calls “TICS 2.0 – No implementation, no going back.”
The association said Friday marked the second day after the expiration of the agreed deadline for implementing the NARD–Federal Government MoU, which prompted the emergency NEC meeting.
The statement read: “Today, the National Executive Council members shall make a determination of the modus operandi for NARD TICS 2.0: NO IMPLEMENTATION, NO GOING BACK.”
NARD stated that it had suspended its previous strike in good faith after the government made commitments, but that the implementation of those agreements remained outstanding.
It said, “Commitments were made. Timelines were agreed. Implementation remains outstanding. These are signed commitments–not negotiations.”
The doctors warned that the responsibility for averting another nationwide strike rests with the government, not with the patience of healthcare workers.
“The responsibility to avert another nationwide doctors’ strike lies with government action, not doctors’ patience,” the statement added.
The association accused the government of neglecting, altering, or only partially implementing agreements reached with resident doctors. It added that previous gains had been eroded by economic realities.
It said: “Agreements have been either totally neglected, altered, or half implemented. Gains made have been allowed to be overtaken by events totally of the making of government.”
NARD also rejected what it described as the persistent portrayal of resident doctors as troublemakers, insisting that its members are central to healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
While noting that industrial action remains a last resort, the association warned that continued silence or delays by the government could force difficult decisions.
NARD said, “It is not a crime to read medicine in the university; it is certainly not a crime to be a member of NARD in Nigeria. We have not offended anyone by constituting ourselves as the backbone of healthcare service delivery in Nigeria.
“No one wants to embark on such actions of industrial disharmony. It becomes the last resort when those saddled with the responsibility of governance turn a blind eye to the realities of the suffering of NARDites.”
The association called on the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to act urgently, saying immediate implementation of the agreements could restore trust and protect Nigeria’s health system.
