FCT HEALTH SERVICES PARALYSED AS DOCTORS STRIKE
Healthcare services across Abuja have ground to a halt following a three-day warning strike launched by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA) in protest against the sudden dismissal of 127 health workers by the FCT Civil Service Commission. The strike, which began Tuesday may 6th morning, came in response to the withholding of April salaries and removal of affected workers from the official payroll, a move described by the union as “arbitrary, unjust, and deeply disruptive.”
The dismissed personnel include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, and non-clinical staff. According to ARD-FCTA’s communique, these workers had all undergone a mandatory verification exercise and continued to report for duty, contradicting the Commission’s classification of them as ghost workers or absconders.
The union accused the Commission of bypassing hospital management and failing to consult key stakeholders, including the Permanent Secretary of Health, in making the decision. They also called for the immediate resignation of the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Emeka Ezeh, whom they accused of fostering a “toxic” administrative culture.
The strike will continue until Friday, May 9, unless the government reinstates the workers, releases their salaries, and issues a formal apology. A peaceful protest has been scheduled at the FCT Administration headquarters, and the union has vowed to escalate to an indefinite strike if their demands are ignored.
