The Speaker of the House of Representatives MR. Tajudden Abbas said the Federal Government is doing all it can to end the current strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
While responding to the State House correspondents, Abbas pointed out that a step to end the strike has been made after a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and principal officers of the lower chambers.
The National Association of Resident Doctors, (NARD) embarked on the strike on Wednesday over the failure of the government to meet their demands.
The Union feared that failure to meet their demand will have a tremendous effect on their lives, particularly during this hardship.
Some of the demands are; the implementation of a one-for-one replacement policy for healthcare workers, immediate payment of all salary arrears, implementation of a Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, and a new hazard allowance among others.
However, Mr Abbas held a meeting with the President and briefed him about the issues and said the government is ready to meet some of their demands, which indicates light at the end of the tunnel.
As reported by Premium Times paper, the speaker said ” “It is a work in progress. I am sure with some of the issues that they have raised, if we can be able to meet some of their expectations; of which we are already working on that. We have already set up an ad-hoc committee chaired by the majority leader of the House to look at the issues they raised.
“I am sure one or two interventions in their areas of concern will prevail on them to come back to the negotiation table,” he added.
The Speaker who intervene also pleaded with the Doctors to patience, as he said not all matters were discussed with the President.
“He said he is just coming on board and we should ask them to please give him more time as he is completely unaware of most of the things that they mentioned and he is yet to be briefed about the issues.
He also advised that we should channel all the issues to his chief of staff to enable him look at them one after the other. So I believe within the next coming days some concerted actions will be taken,” added Mr Tajudden.
The process is also used to introduce the principal of the lower chambers to the President.