BREAKING: Consultant Doctors Suspend National Strike

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria#, MDCAN, has suspended its industrial action, barely two weeks after declaring a national strike.

Recall that members of the association had on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, withdrawn their services from academic activities in Colleges of Medicine in all public universities across the country.

This came after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued by the association for the National Universities Commission to withdraw its circular referenced NUC/ES/138/VOL.63/52 of December 24, 2019, which made the acquisition of the Ph.D. degree a requirement for career progression for clinical lecturers in Nigerian universities.

President of MDCAN, Prof. Kenneth Ozoilo, who announced the suspension of the strike at a press conference in Jos on Tuesday, said the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other stakeholders had intervened in the matter, expressing optimism that the suspension of the strike would create the right ambience for further dialogue and negotiation.

The MDCAN President said, “Following the intervention of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, through the Chairman, House Committee on Health and members the House Committees on Health and Tertiary Education, a mediation meeting was held on March 3 and 4, 2020.

Following the positive resolutions that was concluded during these meetings, an Emergency National Executive Council meeting of MDCAN was held in Abuja.

“The meeting deliberated extensively on the outcome of the mediation meeting and resolved by a majority decision to suspend the withdrawal of service by MDCAN in Nigerian Universities.

“This is with the understanding that this will create the ambience for further dialogue and negotiation to allow the resolution of this and other sundry issues affecting clinical lecturers in Nigerian universities.

“Our members in all chapters in the country have been directed to convene an Emergency Congress meeting and suspend the action immediately.

“It is our hope that the goodwill we have demonstrated will be equally reciprocated by all parties through a continued commitment to the final and amicable resolution to all the issues in contention.”