UPDATED: FCT doctors suspend strike after three months, give reasons

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) has suspended their three-month long strike after receiving part-payment of their outstanding entitlements.

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PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the association suspended the strike following the intervention of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

The doctors, alongside other employees under the commission, had withdrawn their services three months earlier over unresolved issues, including unpaid salaries, allowances, and poor working conditions.

The association’s chairman, Okoreaffia Ogbonnaya, confirmed this development on Sunday in a press statement.

Three-Month Strike

In a follow-up interview with PREMIUM TIMES’ on Monday, Mr Ogbonnaya explained what triggered the strike, the toll it took on healthcare deliveries, and what could happen if the government fails to meet the doctors’ remaining demands by the end of the year.

Mr Ogbonnaya said the doctors embarked on strike after months of unmet demands and deteriorating working conditions, particularly for doctors under the Area Council Service Commission who serve in primary healthcare centres.

These doctors, who act as Medical Officers of Health (MOH), oversee clusters of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across all Area Councils in the FCT.

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According to Mr Ogbonnaya, these officers had endured delayed salary payments, non-remittance of pension deductions, and the failure to implement the national minimum wage.

“The strike action was as a result of poor working conditions, non-remittance of pension deduction, and non-implementation of minimum wage for our members who work at the level of the primary healthcare centres which is administered by the Area councils through a central administration known as the Area council service commission,” he explained.

Despite several meetings with Area Council chairmen, Mr Ogbonnaya said the authorities remained unyielding. “It was not until the intervention of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, that some progress was made,” he said.

Mr Ogbonnaya explained that the minister had to place a lien on the monthly allocation of the Area Councils from the FCTA in order to pay the doctors directly.

“Specifically, two months of salaries were paid along with the implementation of the national minimum wage,” he said.

He, however, said other critical allowances remain outstanding.

These include wage awards, COVID-19 hazard allowances, and the backlog of pension deductions that have not been remitted to the appropriate pension administrators.

Why the strike lasted for three months

Mr Ogbonnaya explained that the prolonged strike was largely due to the lack of cooperation from the Area Council chairmen, who refused to take responsibility for the doctors’ unmet entitlements.

Despite initial engagement and dialogue, there were no meaningful steps taken by the council authorities until the minister’s direct intervention.

The strike continued until two months of salaries were paid, with the inclusion of minimum wage implementation.

Mr Ogbonnaya told PREMIUM TIMES that the strike disrupted healthcare delivery across the primary healthcare system in the FCT.

“All primary health facilities across the six Area Councils were affected. Services halted during the strike included antenatal care, immunisation, family planning, emergency response, general medical care at the community level, and even community sanitation initiatives,” he said.

What happens next?

Although the strike has been suspended, Mr Ogbonnaya said the doctors are giving the Area Council chairmen until the start of the fourth quarter to clear all outstanding allowances.

If this fails, he warned, the union may escalate the action to include doctors in secondary and tertiary facilities.

Describing the suspension as an act of patriotism, Mr Ogbonnaya noted that many doctors have chosen to remain in Nigeria despite poor pay and difficult conditions, especially when compared to opportunities abroad.

About NAGGMDP

NAGGMDP is the largest affiliate of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), comprising general medical and dental officers employed across the three tiers of government.

While the NMA includes doctors in both public and private sectors, NAGGMDP focuses on those in government service.

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In the FCT, the association consists of doctors working in federal, FCTA-managed, and Area Council-run facilities, including federal hospitals, secondary health centres, and primary healthcare centres in all six Area Councils.

These are grouped into three divisions, Federal, State, and Area Council, and governed by a two-tier council structure: the FCT Officers Council (FCTOC), which oversees administration, and the FCT Expanded Council (FCTeC), which includes representatives from all arms of the union.