UNTOLD REASONS WHY NMA FEARFULLY SUSPENDED THE 55 DAYS OLD STRIKE

Fejiro Oliver

The strike action embarked on by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) was on Sunday unofficially called off at 12:02am after an Emergency Delegates Meeting (EDM).
Our sources who attended the delegates meeting told us that there was heated argument when the National President of National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) Jubril Abdullahi told the audience that they had already called off their own strike irrespective of what NMA thinks. His speech caused commotion in the hall before it was later calmed down.

Submissions by various State chapter of NMA emphasized that the strike should be called off as it has brought ridicule to the profession, and any further continuation of the strike may further ‘finish’ the association.
A reliable source within the NMA fold authoritatively revealed that the EDM has to be called following prior knowledge that the FG has concluded plans to begin massive employment of physicians.
“Do you know what that means for the Federal government to start to employ new doctors? It means that the sack will take effect and we cannot allow that happen. We are calling the strike off once the meeting is held”, stated our source.
We gathered that the NMA who were sack last week with the residency program suspended had to resort to pleading with the Senate President, David Mark and National Assembly Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to plead with President Goodluck Jonathan to have a change of heart. Mark who agreed to help them gave them a condition of calling off the strike before any meaningful discussion can be done, revealed our source.
Results from the NMA EDM showed that 199 votes for strike suspension (70.09%), 66 (20.4%) against, 4 invalid votes. They are expected to resume work on Monday, but not sure if they would be absorbed back into the FG hospitals following their sack.