The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has called off its indefinite strike and announced that members will resume duties on Monday at 8 a.m.
In a statement to our correspondent on Friday, the association’s president, Dr. George Ebong, said the suspension was a result of Senate intervention.
He emphasized, however, that none of their demands have been fulfilled yet.
The ARD-FCTA represents doctors working across 14 district and general hospitals, as well as the FCTA’s Department of Public Health.
The doctors had embarked on the warning strike last Monday to press home their demands after months of unresolved negotiations with the FCTA.
The doctors are demanding the payment of salary arrears ranging from one to six months, owed to members employed since 2023. They also want the immediate recruitment of new staff, settlement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and payment of arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
In addition, they are asking for clear timelines for completing skipping and conversion processes for all members, along with the settlement of all accumulated arrears. They further called on the FCTA to address continuous erroneous deductions from members’ salaries and to rectify the irregular and erratic salary payment pattern.
They also demanded the conversion of post-Part II Fellows to the Consultant cadre within six months of passing, as well as documented timelines for promotion exercises with full arrears paid.
Other demands include payment of wage award arrears, renovation and equipping of FCTA hospitals to world-class standards, payment of outstanding hazard allowance arrears, and settlement of salary arrears owed to newly employed external residents who are currently owed three to four months’ pay.
“We are suspending the strike to begin work at 8 a.m. Monday morning.
“The Senate Committee on Federal Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, chaired by David Jimkuta, intervened. Even though none of our demands have been met yet, they assured us that they will talk to the minister, and the Congress has decided to believe what the Senate has said. We also appreciate the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for his interventions.
“The Congress will reassemble to reassess the interventions within the agreed timeframe, and if nothing is done, the Congress will take the next line of action,” Dr Ebong stated.
