Labour minister Chris Ngige is begging the National Association of Resident Doctors to call off their strike.

“I want to appeal to NARD for them to reconsider their position: get back to work tomorrow or next and then come back again for discussions,” Mr Ngige pleaded. “We have so many things to discuss.”

Mr Ngige, who before now had said he could not continue to waste his time meeting with the striking doctors, on Channels TV begged them to resume work.

Despite the National Industrial Court ruling that they should return to work, the resident doctors had yet to call off the strike.

Industrial Court Abuja orders resident doctors to call off strike (gazettengr.com)

According to the minister, his effort is to protect the health sector, pointing out that his relations and children are also medical practitioners.

Mr Ngige is a medical doctor too.

“I have nephews who are resident doctors. I have three of them in the east — at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching hospital, UNTH Enugu, Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu. I have so many of them,” said Mr Ngige. “I have my son — a house officer. I have my daughter, who is joining housemanship in October.”

He added, “I have a son, God willing, who is going to graduate again in October. I cannot destroy the profession. But I have to protect the profession too if it is going to be vandalised.”

The resident doctors had embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on August 2, demanding the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding they signed with the federal government in March 2021.