Following a looming strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctor, NARD, the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting to preempt an industrial action.
President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi told Punch that a meeting to resolve their differences has been fixed for Tuesday.
In a related development, President Muhammadu Buhari has postponed his medical trip to the United Kingdom earlier planned for Friday.
This was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari postpones London trip.’
The statement read, “The medical follow-up visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the United Kingdom earlier scheduled for today, Friday, June 25, 2021, has been postponed.”
“A new date will be announced in due course,” the statement added.
Read Also: ASUU Dismisses FG’s N52.5bn, Says Strike Likely Soon
Adesina had initially in a statement on Thursday announced that Buhari would on Friday proceed to London for “a scheduled medical follow-up.”
The statement disclosed that the President would return to the country during the second week of July 2021, barely four months after he travelled to London for medical checkup and returned two weeks later.
Initially, when Adesina announced on Thursday that the President would travel to London for medical “follow-up” checkup, NARD also issued a fresh four-week ultimatum to the federal and state governments to address its demands, including the payment of hazard allowances.
The association listed some other terms and conditions for the federal and state governments to meet or else it would embark on strike.
However, NARD President Okhuaihesuyi said that the Federal Government had reached out to the association and proposed a meeting date.
He said, “We have received a letter from the Federal Government and a meeting has been arranged with the Ministry of Health. That will be next Tuesday, June 29.
“We will be meeting them and I will definitely give a follow-up on the outcome of our meeting.”
NARD had on April 1 embarked on a two-week strike – a day after the President embarked on a medical trip to London for a routine medical check-up.
Source: Punch