TWO-WEEK timeline was on Wednesday set for the payment of N4 billion Medical Residency Training cash to striking resident doctors, Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris confirmed on Wednesday.
He said he was given the task to effect the quick disbursement of the cash to beneficiaries.
This, among other agreements, set the tone for the likely call-off the National Association of Resident Doctors’ (NARD’s) strike, which began on Monday.
NARD President Aliyu Sokomba stated that the National Executive Council of the association will meet within the next 24 hours to decide its next line of action.
Speaking at the end of a meeting between representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and Office of the AGF, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, stated that the striking doctors expressed satisfaction on the progress made on their demands.
The minister said all the representatives mentioned above signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the end of yesterday’s meeting.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Aliyu and Dr. Bilqis Muhammad (NARD’s President and Secretary-General); NMA’s Secretary-General Dr. Ekpe Philips Uche; AGF Idris; Federal Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, A.M. Abdullahi; Ministry of Labour & Employment Dr. Yerima P. Tarfa; Minister of State for Health Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora; Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo and Senator Ngige.
Ngige, who read the outcome of the meeting to reporters, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved additional N8,901,231,773.55 to pay up the large chunk of the June 2020 COVID-19 allowance to all medical health workers.