President Bola Tinubu has invoked the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy by granting an exceptional waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order that was imposed on striking members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on August 1, 2023.
The strike, initiated on July 26, 2023, prompted this order, which has now been waived.
This decision was made public through a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Friday.
The statement explained, “After several constructive engagements between the Federal Government and NARD, the Resident Doctors called off their strike on August 12, 2023. The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation had been directed to withhold all salaries accrued by striking NARD members during the 17 days of their strike action.
“In recognition of the faithful implementation of the terms agreed upon during the productive discussions between the Resident Doctors and the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ Order for Resident Doctors. This waiver allows NARD members to receive the salaries that were previously withheld during the 17-day strike action.
“The President’s directive for granting the waiver includes a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must establish a Document of Understanding (DoU) confirming that this exceptional waiver, approved by the President, will be the last one granted to the National Association of Resident Doctors and all other Health Sector Unions.” This action aims to ensure future labor disputes are resolved more effectively and prevent further disruptions in the healthcare sector.
