No Doctor Is Owed Monthly Salary – FG

The Federal Government says no doctor or health worker in Nigeria is owed monthly salary.

The Minster of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, said this at the opening of the meeting of the Presidential Committee on Salaries with the leadership of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ngige said the clarification becomes necessary to counter the propaganda by the striking members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

He said that the fumes from the propaganda machine of NARD were obfuscating the reality of the federal government efforts to reposition the health sector.

“NARD goes about telling Nigerians that government is owing them salaries and as well not taking the problems in the health sector seriously.

”But this is not true. It is incorrect. No doctor, nurse, pharmacist or any other health worker including the driver is owed monthly salary.

“Government pays as and when due.

“The truth is that NARD doctors fail to tell Nigerians that their colleagues who are owed salaries are the ones illegally recruited.

”Therefore, they were neither captured by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation nor was their payments provided for by the Budget Office of the Federation.

“Monthly salaries are done as and when due for those legitimately employed by the Federal Government, but not to those illegally employed or need their appointments regularised and captured in the finances of government for payment.

”This takes a process which is not accomplished overnight,” he said.

He, however, referred to the presidential waiver for employment into the critical Health and Defence Ministries in view of the general embargo on employment.

The ministet assured that doctors illegally recruited would have their service regularised in due course.