Resident Doctors at Federal Medical Centre Owo Call on Federal Government to Avert Industrial Action by Addressing Welfare Concerns

Medical practitioners at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, Ondo State, have issued an urgent appeal to the Federal Government to fulfill its agreements with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to prevent the looming nationwide strike.

Speaking on behalf of the association, the doctors expressed deep frustration over the government’s persistent failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in late 2025. Key demands driving the current agitation include the payment of outstanding salary and promotion arrears, the reinstatement of dismissed colleagues at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, and the full implementation of the professional allowance table as captured in the 2026 budget.

The doctors noted that while they remain committed to providing quality healthcare, the current working conditions, characterized by manpower shortages and stagnated welfare, are no longer sustainable. They emphasized that resident doctors are the backbone of Nigeria’s tertiary health institutions and that a total, indefinite strike—tagged “TICS 2.0″—would severely cripple medical services across the country.

With the strike scheduled to commence on Monday, January 12, 2026, the Ondo FMC chapter urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to demonstrate sincerity. They warned that only the immediate and visible implementation of their minimum demands could restore industrial harmony and protect the health of millions of Nigerians.