By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
For the third time in nine months, resident doctors employed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have proceeded on strike.
Their umbrella Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) today declared that public hospitals run by FCTA are being shut, unless the Administration,headed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, accedes to their demands for better welfare and provision of basic working assets,among others.
ARD FCT, president, Dr. George Ebong, disclosed news of the strike while addressing journalists in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
This year alone, the FCTA has witnessed two previous strikes in that sensitive sector.
In January, there was a three-day warning strike over unpaid salaries and allowances for some doctors.
In May 2025, patients were rocked by another three-day warning strike due to equipment deficit needs as well as same issue of unpaid salaries, this time for doctors hired in 2023.
The situation inside FCTA seemed to show its hand again,when on Monday, June 30, the over 30,000 entire workforce proceeded on a three-day warning protest to press home their demands for promotions denied/delayed by the Wike administration, better welfare, restoration of fiscal overhead for directors/heads of departments and sundry issues.
Recall that Chairperson of FCTA Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer, had also pinpointed alleged neglect of workers’ labour rights by Wike himself as one of the reasons for the protest.
Keen watchers of developments in FCTA have queried the rationale for the Minister’s seeming over-prioritization of construction/renovation of roads and bridges at the expense of “the more important human capital development, which directly builds,empowers, invigorates the individual.”
An Abuja resident, Musa Alhassan, said: “All this talk of Mr Project, all this building of roads and bridges, while being important, is not what the average FCT resident needs.
“Wike is getting it very wrong. The majority people need food, good and affordable health, tight security, soft loans to boost SMEs, proper educational facilities, things that directly touch their lives –not roads and bridges inside Abuja city, an already well-built up place where only few people actually live.”
ARD Speaks
Speaking to journalists, Dr Ebong said some doctors died from snake bites as a result of the poor conditions of health infrastructure in General Hospitals owned by the Administration.
According to the ARD chief, no doctor would work until FCTA meets all the union’s demands.
His words: “This is all and one shutdown for seven days. All of our demands must be met before we will resume work.
“We have been believing them for the past years with nothing done.
“Our hospitals were affected by snakes; some doctors died from snake bites.
“We are becoming harmful to our patients. We can’t keep treating patients when we are mentally sick.”
Painting a picture of the status of public health facilities in Abuja, Dr Ebong said it is deplorable and embarrassing, adding that doctors work without the most basic equipment or consumables.
ARD Communique After Congress Authorized The Strike
A 12-point resolution was part of a communique issued by the association after a meeting (congress) of members on September 5, 2025.
The communique stated: “Arising from this meeting, after rigorous deliberation, and taking into consideration the fact that management is unwilling to acknowledge the emergency in the FCT health sector, Congress unanimously resolved as follows:
“Congress unanimously agreed to embark on a one-week warning strike starting from 8:00 am, Monday 8th September 2025, to 8:00 am, Monday 15th September 2025. At the end of this warning strike, Congress shall reconvene to reassess the commitments and progress made by FCTA.
“Immediate payment of salary arrears owed to all members employed in 2023 without further delay.
“Immediate and urgent recruitment of new doctors must commence without delay, with a firm, documented assurance that the process will be fully concluded before the end of this year. The bulk of these appointments should prioritise medical officers, who form the backbone and foot soldiers of the health workforce. This is not a routine request, but an emergency current manpower crisis has already exceeded manageable limits and now poses grave, potentially catastrophic risks to both patients and doctors.
“Immediate payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to all members. Most members have already completed or are concluding exams this year, and any further delay will not be entertained.
“Erroneous Deductions and Irregular Salary Payments: The Congress demands that management, as a matter of utmost urgency, address the continuous erroneous deductions from members’ salaries and immediately rectify the irregular and epileptic pattern of salary payments.
“Immediate release of documented timelines for the completion of skipping and conversion for all members. This process must be concluded within one (1) month.
“Immediate signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) mandating: Skipping of members within three (3) months of employment. The conversion of post-Part II Fellows to the Consultant cadre not later than six (6) months after. These standards are already obtainable in other centres and must be enforced in FCTA.
“Immediate release of timelines for promotion exercises, with full payment of arrears. This process must also be concluded within one (1) month.
“Immediate payment of the wage award arrears to our members. Most federal and state colleagues have been paid, and FCTA doctors cannot continue to be sidelined.
“Immediate payment of arrears from the 25/35 per cent upward review of CONMESS, as already implemented and paid in most states and at the federal level.
“Urgent renovation, equipping, and upgrading of FCTA hospitals to world-class standards. The current state of our facilities is deplorable and embarrassing, with doctors left to work without the most basic equipment or consumables.
“Immediate payment of outstanding hazard allowance arrears. The deliberate withholding of this entitlement is unacceptable and appears to be a calculated attempt to undermine and devalue our members.”
Situation Report In Hospitals
Reports from some General Hospitals show that most patients on admission have begun to leave the beds, some to their homes while those who could afford it, relocated to private hospitals.
Many patients and their relatives wore grim looks and some had harsh words for the FCT Minister.
For instance, a man who identified himself simply as Malam Sirajo, at District Hospital, Asokoro, said: “To be honest, the doctors here have been trying. I’ve been on admission and the doctors are few that attend to us. Sometimes I hear them muttering over overwork,no salary, very delayed salary, equipment failure and such issues.
“And I ask, why is Wike spending so much money, time, energy, building or renovating roads and bridges when his government’s hospitals and doctors lack many vital things for effective service delivery? Where is the wisdom in roads, bridges as again human development?”
A relative of another patient, in District Hospital Wuse, Mrs. Roseline Adam, angrily asked:”How many people who work or do business inside Abuja city, reside there? Wike’s road projects are too many.
“If he’s truly working for the people, let him channel huge monies and same energy into the health sector. Many things are lacking here. The doctors and nurses grumble everyday. Let’s not even mention non-medical staff who work here.
“What the Minister is doing is a case of penny wise, pound foolish. Every now and again doctors are on strike in FCT. Settle them once and for all in the same manner he’s handling roads and bridges, non-human items.”
PHOTO CAPTION: District Hospital, Wuse.
