President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has expressed worries about the ongoing strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which has increased the burden of vulnerable Nigerians.
The Director of Administration, NSCIA, Arc. Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu, on Friday, quoted the Sultan as saying in a statement, urging the doctors to suspend the current strike to allow for meaningful negotiation.
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According to him, the council urged the association to, in the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath, which members subscribed to and in consideration of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of cholera in parts of the country, suspend the industrial action while negotiation with the government continues.
“The Council pleads with the Minister of Labour and Productivity to reconsider the Ministry’s stance to abandon negotiations with the doctors.
“The anger of the government side, no matter its basis, has not ameliorated the suffering of ordinary Nigerians who are helpless victims of the logjam.
“The government, therefore, has to vigorously and sincerely re-engage the leadership of NARD in a manner that would inspire the confidence of the medical doctors in the negotiation.
“The Federal Government also has a duty to coordinate the responses of other tiers of government towards addressing the grievances of the doctors,” he added.
While commending the intervention of the National Assembly and other concerned Nigerians, the council urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to intensify negotiations with the striking NARD with a view to finding a lasting solution to the fundamental issues raised by the doctors.
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