The National Industrial Court, NIC, has ordered the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, to suspend its strike with immediate effect.
At the court session on Friday, Tochukwu Maduka, counsel for the federal government, asked the court for an order directing the defendant to suspend the strike, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
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Opposing the application, Robinson Ariyo, counsel for the resident doctors, argued that the application by the federal government is an infringement on their right to life, especially under the conditions of the pandemic.
He submitted that the resident doctors are persons entitled to emergency rights under the coronavirus disease COVID-19 protection regulations and other related best practices, in connection with mental physical health.
Ruling on the application, Justice Bashar Alkali, said that the applicants were able to show that unless this application is granted, so many Nigerians will lose their lives most especially as the country is experiencing an upsurge in the third wave of COVID-19.
And no amount of money can compensate the lives of Nigerians who would lose their lives if the members of the defendants continue with their strike.
Justice Alkali, therefore, ordered that all members of NARD in all the states of the Federation are hereby restrained from continuing with the industrial action and should resume work immediately, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The doctors had commenced the strike on August 1, 2021, over the irregular payment of salaries among other issues, and efforts by the house of representatives to mediate between the federal government and NARD ended in a deadlock, forcing them to institute an action against the association and asked the court for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining members of NARD, from continuing with the action.
Edited by Tunde Orebiyi
