Resident Doctors in FCT Commence 3-Day Warning Strike over Sack of 127 Health Workers
The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has commenced a three-day warning strike, effective today, Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
The strike is in response to the recent sack of 127 health workers by the FCT Civil Service Commission last Friday.
The decision to embark on the strike was reached after an emergency congress meeting held on Monday at Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.
The meeting, which was attended by members of the FCT ARD, was convened to discuss the recent mass sack of health workers and the way forward.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the president of FCT ARD, Dr. George Ebong, expressed the association’s strong opposition to the sack, describing it as “inhumane and illegal.”
Dr. Ebong stated that the sack was carried out without due diligence, and the affected workers were not given fair hearing or opportunity to defend themselves.
“We are shocked and dismayed by the sudden and unjustified sack of 127 health workers by the FCT Civil Service Commission,” Dr. Ebong said. “This action is not only inhumane but also illegal, and we demand their immediate reinstatement and onward payment of their April salaries.”
Dr. Ebong also demanded the immediate resignation of the chairman of FCT-CSC, Emeka Ezeh, citing his role in the mass sack. “We hold the chairman of FCT-CSC responsible for this unjust action, and we demand his immediate resignation,” he said.
The FCT ARD president warned that if their demands are not met by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration within three days, the association would embark on an indefinite strike and shut down the nation’s capital hospitals. “We will not hesitate to take further action if our demands are not met,” Dr. Ebong said. “We will shut down all hospitals in the FCT, and this will have severe consequences on the healthcare system in the nation’s capital.”
The strike has already started to take its toll on patients and healthcare services in the FCT. Many patients have been turned back from hospitals, and emergency services have been disrupted. The FCT Administration has yet to respond to the demands of the FCT ARD, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming days.
