President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, called out to striking medical doctors to call off the industrial action as Nigerians are in critical need of their services.
Buhari, who made the call when he received members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, also urged those contemplating strike to choose amicable settlement of all grievances instead.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari noted that doctors’ striking at a time when the country is struggling to find its way out of a pandemic is not a good decision, the nature of grievances notwithstanding.
He urged the striking unions to opt for settlement of issues by negotiation, no matter how long it takes, assuring that all outstanding benefits owed medical doctors will be cleared, after verifications, even as he reminded them that his administration has a track record of paying its debt to workers and pensioners.
“This administration has a good track record of paying all debts owed to government workers, pensioners and contractors and we have even revisited debts left by past administrations, once due verification is done. Debts genuinely owed Health workers will be settled.”
