FG and NARD to meet after Eight days of Strike.

The Federal Government and the National Association of Resident Doctors will hold a meeting on Friday, to discuss the issues that surround the ongoing strike.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Charles Akpan, disclosed this in an invite to journalists on Thursday.

He said the Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige will chair the meeting, and there will be other representatives from the Federal government, and from the National Association of Resident Doctors.

There has been some disagreement between The National Association of Resident Doctors and the Federal Government over the Memorandum of Action discussed before the strike began.

The Federal Government revealed through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige that they have fulfilled some of the demand in the seven-point demand by NARD, and also demonstrated transparency in their implementation.

The National Association of Resident Doctors accused the government of insincerity and dismissed the MOA as a plot by the government to hoodwink the union.

However, the Senate Committee on Health said on Thursday expressed surprise that the National Association of Resident Doctors embarked on strike despite the fact that their demands had been met by the Federal Government.

He added that the Presidency should have consulted the National Assembly before converting the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to the Presidential Steering Committee.

Oloriegbe said, “I want to put on record that at National Assembly we made efforts to avert the doctors going on strike.

“We had a marathon meeting on March 21 and we agreed on all the issues that were raised by the resident doctors.

“So we are surprised that the Resident Doctors went on strike. However, we are not reneging.”

The Permanent Secretary, Abdulaziz Abdullahi, who represented the Minister of Health, promised that the ministry would take cognizance of the comments raised by the panel.