Doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory, have declared a three-day warning strike starting Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in protest of the abrupt dismissal of 127 health workers by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
According to The PUNCH, following an emergency congress held on Monday at the Asokoro District Hospital, the ARD resolved to down tools in response to what they described as an unjust and insensitive action by the FCT authorities.
The affected workers include not only doctors but also nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and non-clinical staff.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, ARD President, Dr. George Ebong, condemned the sackings, describing them as “inhumane and illegal.”
“We are deeply concerned that 127 health workers were disengaged without due process. They were wrongly labelled as ghost workers and absconders, yet many of them are still active in the system, including three managing directors of hospitals,” Dr. Ebong said.
He explained that the health workers were not given any prior notice and had their April salaries stopped, a move he said reflects “gross insensitivity and injustice.
“This action was taken without any consultation with relevant bodies such as the Health Management Board, the Permanent Secretary of Health, or professional associations like the ARD and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria,” Ebong noted.
Dr. Ebong also demanded the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, whom he accused of unilaterally executing the mass sack.
“We want an apology issued to every affected health worker and their salaries restored immediately. If by Friday, May 9, our demands are not met, we will proceed on an indefinite strike and shut down hospitals across the FCT,” he warned.
The doctors argue that if the affected staff were truly ghost workers, the hospitals would have been non-functional due to the vacuum their absence would have created.
This industrial action raises concerns over the delivery of healthcare services in Abuja and may worsen the already fragile state of public health facilities if not resolved promptly.
