Following a series of meetings with President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly, striking members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, have suspended its nationwide protest earlier scheduled to begin earlier today, August 9, 2023.

The National President of NARD, Dr Emeka Orji said the government had asked the doctors to give them 24 hours to resolve the urgent demands.

Orji said that though it was difficult to convince their members to agree with the outcome of the meetings with the government, the association on its own has decided to give the Nigerian government 72 hours after which it will review its stand.

Orji said that they have had a series of meetings with the presidency and the Senate, one at the presidential villa and another one with the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, and other principal officers of the National Assembly so they have waded into the matter.

He said they had a fruitful meeting with the senate, adding that they are hopeful that they will abide by the outcome of the meeting to resolve the urgent demands of the association.

In a report, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio assured the doctors that President Bola Tinubu’s administration will accede to their demands.

It could be recalled that the striking doctors had been on an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to meet their demands which include; payment of the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF); immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and upward review of the consolidated medical salary structure, CONMESS, payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard and skipping allowance among others.