Federal Gov’t Reinstates Resident Doctors President

The federal government has reinstated Dr. Jimoh Umar, the suspended President of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja (FTHL) Kogi State.

It will be recalled that Dr Umar, the President of ARDFTHL, was suspended in 2024 for actions he carried out as the head of a union, a collective decision of all the hospital’s resident doctors, by the management of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja.

His notice of reinstatement was contained in a communique issued at the end of the emergency Congress meeting of ARD, FTHL, dated 18 January 2025, which was signed by the association’s Vice President, Dr. Dolar Sandy, and General Secretary, Akinyemi Akinbode.

The Congress observed the directive to reinstate Dr Umar in a letter currently with the Association national body and the office of the Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja (CMD-FTHL).

According to the communique, “The Congress salutes the efforts of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms Kachollom Shangti Daju, mni, for the approval of the recommendation of the Human Resource Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on December 12, 2024.

“The Congress observed the efforts of the Coordinating Minister of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate; the President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Bala Audu; President of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Osundara Tope and all other stakeholders who contributed to bringing this protracted suspension to an end.

“The Congress frowns and condemns in its entirety the continued frustrations by the Chief Medical Director, Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, the efforts of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate; the Permanent Secretary, Ms Kachollom Shangti Daju, mni; and the NMA President, Prof. Bala Audu, in deliberately delaying actions on the directive received by the office of the CMD-FTHL on January 11, 2025.

The Congress, however, passed a vote of confidence in Prof. Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Ms Kachollom Shangti Daju, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The association, however, called on the CMD-FTHL to effect the directive of the Honourable Minister of Health and reinstate our President, Dr. Jimoh Umar.

“The Congress puts the office of the Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja (CMD-FTHL). Dr Olatunde Alabi is on notice that we are fully aware of his recent activities in the Ministry of Health to thwart the reasonable efforts of the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

“The Congress of ARD FTHL charges the CMD-FTHL, Dr Olatunde Alabi, to fulfil all the terms of the agreement reached at the tripartite meeting held on July 18, 2024, in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Abuja.

“The Congress looks forward to the resumption of her President, Dr Jimoh Umar, in earnest. Congress resolves to reconvene on January 25, 2025, to re-evaluate the progress so far,” the communique added.