NEWS
‘No Work, No Pay’ Tinubu Tells Striking Resident Doctors
The Federal Government has instituted a “no work, no pay” policy for resident doctors which may prevent them from receiving their salaries due to their ongoing strike.
This is stated in a letter to the Accountant General of the Federation dated August 1 and sent by the Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Dr. Andrew Noah, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufunso Adebiyi.
The letter is titled ‘Re: Incessant Strike Action by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD): Implementation of ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy of the Federal Government’. It has DHS/828/T1/410 as its serial number.
The body of the letter read: “NARD has in a letter Ref_. No. NARD/SG/2022-2023/050723/459; dated July 5, extended its expired ultimatum by another two weeks effective from Wednesday, July 5.
“Also at the expiration of the extended ultimatum on July 19, if all the demands are not met, NARD will not guarantee industrial harmony in the health Sector.
“On July 26, NARD embarked on an indefinite strike over their agitated issues despite concerted government interventions.”
The letter also itemised some of NARD’s key demands to be immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate implementation of a minimum of 200 per cent increment in Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the upward review of associated allowances.
Others are payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard allowance and skipping allowance.
The letter said that various conciliatory meetings by the ministry of health, Ministry of labour and Employment, government stakeholders and the National Assembly proved abortive in getting NARD to call off the indefinite strike action.
“I am directed to bring to your notice the provisions of Circular No.58598/S.1/II/182 dates June 22, 2016, on ‘No Work, No Pay’ and request for the implementation of the circular to serve as a deterrent to other health workers.
“I am further directed to request your good office to stop the salaries of all striking resident doctors with effect from July 26, 2023,” the letter read.
Reacting to the letter, the President of NARD, Dr Innocent Orji, told journalist that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy would aggravate the issues and escalate the on-going strike by its members.
According to him, the Federal Government has aggravated the matter because FMOH has not been living up to their responsibility, but claim that because it does not have a minister, it cannot do much.
Speaking about the various conciliatory talks that the government and other stakeholders have engaged the association in, Orji said it is getting people tired.
He added that the Federal Government had not been in negotiations with the association since the strike commenced.
“We had talks before the strike started, we have said before that they do not need talks to pay MRTF 2023, it is in the budget and the funds are there.
“They do not need talks or meetings to release the circular on One-for-One policy for the replacement of exited clinical workers so that they can replace those who have left the system, our members are just working round the clock alone doing the work of so many people.
“If you tell me that for skipping arrears, for CONMESS review that demands negotiations fine, but for these other ones, nobody needs any special meeting to do that and that is the problem.
“Assuming they did two or three things of course doctors can now decide to consider coming back to work and give more time for discussions to resolve the other issues but that has not happened.
“A government that has made promises and decided to renege on those promises and on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with us and they are doing this, it will only aggravate the matter.
“We will have our meeting this weekend, whatever happens from next week let it be put on record that they caused it,” Orji said.
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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