ARD ATBU-TH Bauchi to Resume Indefinite Strike January 12 Over Unmet FG Agreements
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), Bauchi chapter, has announced plans to resume a total and indefinite nationwide strike from January 12, 2026, following the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement agreements reached with the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The President of ARD ATBU-TH Bauchi, Dr. Salisu Muhammad Mukhtar, made this known on Friday during a press briefing in Bauchi, stressing that resident doctors had exhausted all avenues of dialogue with the government without tangible results.
Dr. Mukhtar explained that NARD, which represents over 11,000 resident doctors across tertiary health institutions in Nigeria, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government on September 14, 2025, to address persistent welfare and professional challenges confronting doctors nationwide. He said the ultimatum followed years of unresolved issues affecting the efficiency and morale of resident doctors.
According to him, the demands include unpaid salary and promotion arrears, non-implementation of specialist and professional allowances, manpower shortages, delayed promotions, commerce distortion, and the disengagement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, alongside alleged victimisation of union leaders.
He noted that after the expiration of the initial ultimatum, NARD extended the deadline by 30 days and later granted a final seven-day grace period. However, with no meaningful response from the government, resident doctors commenced a nationwide strike on November 1, 2025.
Dr. Mukhtar said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was eventually signed on November 27, 2025, between NARD and the Federal Government, facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and involving the Federal Ministry of Health.
The strike was subsequently suspended for one month to allow the government to implement the agreed timelines.
“Regrettably, by the end of December 2025, most of the timelines captured in the MoU were either breached or outrightly ignored, with only minimal and inconsistent implementation across institutions,” he said.
He disclosed that an emergency meeting of NARD’s Extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) was held on January 2, 2026, where members reviewed the level of compliance and resolved to resume an indefinite and comprehensive strike nationwide from January 12.
Dr. Mukhtar emphasised that while resident doctors remain committed to patient care, they are currently overstretched due to manpower shortages and the ongoing strike by other health workers.
He appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, elder statesmen, the media and concerned Nigerians to intervene, urging the government to honour its commitments so doctors can promptly return to their duties.
