(NIGERIA)
The National Industrial Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos
yesterday stopped the President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government (FG)
alongside its agents from serving the over 16,000 suspended resident doctors
with sack letters. |
| Protesting Nigerian resident doctors |
Specifically, the court presided over by Justice Babatunde
Adejumo, directed all Chief Medical Directors of the 37 medical institutions
across Nigeria to maintain statusquo, pending hearing and determination of the
suit initiated by the aggrieved doctors.
It would be recalled that the FG had in a letter dated
August 13, 2014 directed that the Residency Training Programme for doctors be
suspended. The aggrieved doctors on August 18, 2014 initiated a Motion on
Notice through their lawyer, Alex Akoja wherein they urged the judge to issue an
order restraining the FG and its agents from both scrapping the programme and
terminating their appointment.
In his ruling on
Monday, the judge held that the respondents should not serve the resident
doctors with sack letters if they had not already done so. According to Justice
Adejumo, “It is the order of the court that since there is yet to be proof that
the order has been carried out, the 3rd to 39th respondents are hereby
restrained either by themselves, agents, privies or any other person from
serving member of the Registered Trustee of the Nigeria Medical Association
with any letter of termination if same had not been served on them before
today.
“I have gone through the motion exparte, the affidavit in
support as well as the written address. In respect of prayer one (suspension of
training programme), it is my belief that it will be better addressed when
parties joined issues on the issues raised in the motion on Notice.”
The doctors joined as respondents to the suit; the Chief
Medical Directors of Aminu Kanu Teaching Hospital, Jos University Teaching Hospital,
Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Obafemi
Awolowo Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital, Ibadan, University of
Benin Teaching Hospital, Calabar Teaching Hospital; University of Ilorin
Teaching Hospital, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, University of
Portharcourt Teaching Hospital, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Usman
Danfodio Teaching Hospital, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, and the
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital.
Others are the Medical Directors of Federal Medical Centres
in Asaba, Azare, Bida, Birnin-Kebbi, Birnin Kudu, Gombe, Keffi, Gusau,
Ido-Ekiti, Katsina, Lokoja, Makurdi, Owerri, Owo, Umuahia, Yenegoa, Yola, Ebute
Metta, Lagos and Yobe states.
The matter has been adjourned till September 17, 2014 for hearing
of the Motion on Notice.
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