The Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has declared a three-day warning strike in protest against the sudden dismissal of 127 health workers by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
The strike, which will commence at 8 am today, 6 May 2025, follows an emergency congress held Monday at the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.
The FCT ARD described the dismissal as unjust, inhumane, and reckless.
The affected workers include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and non-clinical staff — some of whom are hospital heads.
In an interview after the meeting, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FCT chapter, Dr. George Ebong, condemned the mass sack as unlawful and lacking due process.
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He accused the Commission of branding actively serving health workers as “ghost workers,” “ex-employees,” and “absconders” without consulting hospital administrators or relevant medical associations.
“We are embarking on a three-day warning strike because most of the members were disengaged from service on Friday without due diligence. They were labelled as ghost workers, ex-employees, and absconders when, in fact, these colleagues of ours are still in the system working even until now,” said Dr. Ebong.
He continued: “We are livid that the FCTA service commission will carry out such an inhuman decision without talking to the health management board, permanent secretary of health, association of resident doctors, or Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, MDCAN. It is not just doctors that are affected—nurses, pharmacists, and lab scientists, including non- clinical workers are affected too.”
“The managing directors of these hospitals are not aware. In fact, three MDs are affected; 127 health workers are affected. If these numbers are ghost workers, so how do these hospitals operate? The hospitals would have collapsed. What is the staff strength of FCT hospitals?”
He further decried the halting of April salaries for the affected staff without prior notice, calling it a clear case of “insensitivity and injustice.”
Dr. Ebong demanded the immediate reinstatement of all dismissed workers, full salary payment for April, a formal apology to the affected staff, and the resignation of the Commission’s chairman, Mr. Emeka Ezeh.
“We demand immediate salary payment for all the affected health workers; apology letters to the affected health workers; and the immediate resignation of the chairman of the service commission, Mr. Emeka Ezeh,” he said.
The doctors have given the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the FCTA until Friday, May 9, to act or face “an indefinite strike” in the capital.
More than 120 doctors participated in the emergency meeting, both in person and online, showing strong solidarity behind the planned industrial action.
The FCT health sector now faces the risk of widespread service disruption if the crisis remains unresolved by the end of the week.
