Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige has describing says the action of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors to comply with the Court order ordering them to call-off their strike and resume, as contempt of court.
It would be recalled that the National Industrial Court, NIC sitting in Abuja had on Friday ordered the striking doctors go back to work while continuing with its negotiations with the Federal Government.
The presiding Judge, Justice Bashar Alkali gave the directive while ruling on an application by the Federal Government in the suit against association. However the doctors had refused to resume, saying that they would appeal the order.
Ngige, while responding to a question on the development while speaking on a television programme, said the resident doctors earlier submitted 8,000 names which was later pruned down to 5,000, noting that some doctors were recruited into service despite the prohibition on recruitment.
An official of the Association Julian Ojebo while reacting to claims by the Minister said the doctors would not suspend the strike. He also denied that the Federal Government took a loan from the World Bank to settle the doctors, adding that questions on the borrowing should be directed to the Minister of Finance.
