Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, has said federal government does not owe doctor or any worker in the health sector salaries.
Ngige made this known on Tuesday at the meeting of the presidential committee on salaries, with the leadership of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) in Abuja.
The Minister said the clarification became necessary to address the position of the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), who are currently on strike over alleged salary irregularities, among other issues.
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He said: “NARD goes about telling Nigerians that government is owing them salaries, and as well not taking the problems in the health sector seriously. But this is not true. It is incorrect,”
Also Read: NARD Strike: Paying Doctors When They Are Not Working is Illegal; Ngige
“No doctor, nurse, pharmacist or any other health worker, including the driver, is owed monthly salary. Government pays as and when due.
“The truth is that NARD fails to tell Nigerians that their colleagues who are owed salaries are the ones illegally recruited. Therefore, they were neither captured by the office of the head of service of the federation, nor were their payments provided for by the budget office of the federation.
“Monthly salaries are done as and when due for those legitimately employed by the federal government, but not to those illegally employed or need their appointments regularised and captured in the finances of government for payment.
“This takes a process which is not accomplished overnight.”
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