Association Demands Recall Of Sacked Doctors

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has renewed its call on the federal government to reinstate five doctors who were sacked by the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja (FTHL) management.

The doctors were allegedly dismissed in October 2024, May 2025, and August 2025 by FTHL led by its former chief medical director, Dr Olatunde Alabi, for their involvement in union activities against the hospital management.

Addressing a press conference in Lokoja, NARD president, Dr Muhammed Usman Suleiman, said the association was saying “enough is enough” as the sacked doctors had been out of work for over a year.

Suleiman recalled that NARD, during its recent 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM), gave the federal government a 30-day deadline to meet a series of outstanding welfare and policy demands affecting its members.

“Today is the 18th day of the 30-day ultimatum that NARD gave to the federal government to implement our demands, among which is the reinstatement of five doctors sacked at FTH Lokoja.

“NARD’s demands include the reinstatement of the sacked doctors, payment of unpaid promotion and salary arrears dating back to five years, unpaid 25 and 35 per cent increment and entitlements,” he said.

He said Nigeria is facing a crisis in the health sector, with one doctor for every 9,000 Nigerians, compared to the standard ratio of one doctor for every 600 people.

Suleiman urged President Bola Tinubu to act fast, warning that if the situation was not addressed, it might lead to a national disaster.