Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Strike: Nigerian doctors must stop competing with God, says Ngige

Health minister Chris Ngige said Nigerian doctors must not misuse their God-given opportunity to save lives with incessant industrial actions.

• August 12, 2021
Labour minister Chris Ngige (Credit: Punch Newspaper)
Labour minister Chris Ngige (Credit: Punch Newspaper)

The Minister of Labour Chris Ngige has urged striking Nigerian doctors to be humble and stop competing with God, lamenting incessant strike by health workers. 

National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) called an indefinite nationwide strike on August 2 to press home their demand for the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding they signed in March 2021.

The MOU contained issues bothering on the welfare and other issues affecting the doctors.

Mr Ngige, who last friday said he cannot continue to waste his time meeting with striking doctors, said God gave doctors power to save lives and doctors must not compete with God but discharge their duties with humility. 

“We don’t create lives, God creates. We only preserve people’s lives through the act of God. In doing so, God has given us some powers and those powers are his own to create. 

“But there is something God does not want, God does not want when he gives you powers you use it to try to say that you are like him or you are competing with him.

“God loves you to do that which he has asked you to do; to use that power with humility,” Mr Ngige said. 

Speaking on Thursday at the 2nd Summit of Medical Elders Forum (MEF) held in Abuja, Mr Ngige said the medical profession is in great danger and doctors must learn to be humble and not play God while discharging their duties.

“At no time in the history of medical association am I seeing our association and our profession in danger as I am seeing now.

Many people will not see it but from where I am sitting and standing, I can see danger ahead,” he said. 

The minister lamented incessant strikes by Nigerian medical doctors, saying “Doctors should ask themselves questions; why is it that it is when your colleagues are in government that you go on the greatest number of strikes.

“Some of these colleagues were Presidents, Secretary Generals of NMA and even NARD. Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu, Dr Isaac Adewole faced plenty of strikes, since our government came I have consolidated four strikes.

“Something is wrong. We must start by telling ourselves the truth,” he added.

Since Mr Buhari assumed office in 2015, health workers have gone on strike on different occasions, while Mr Buhari has spent close to 200 days away from Nigeria to attend to his medical needs in London.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

Abubakar Kyari

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

PDP members

Abuja

2026: PDP unveils FCT council chairmanship candidates

“It is our desire that all aspirants and candidates will work towards the success of the elections come 2026,” he stated.

Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja

Education

Kogi poly withdraws 273 students for poor academic performance; six expelled

Six students were found guilty of serious examination offences and were accordingly expelled.

EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede (credit: EFCC)

Anti-Corruption

No shortcut to getting rich in Nigeria; students should stop ‘Yahoo’ fraud: EFCC

“There is no shortcut to wealth and fame. Acts of criminality might deliver wealth in the short term, but ultimately, there will be misery and gnashing of teeth,” said Mr Olukoyede.

Man smoking used to illustrate the story

Health

WHO warns of tobacco industry interference, urges stronger controls

“By uniting science, policy, and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies, or steals futures,” WHO said.

Bola Tinubu and trafficked victims

Opinion

Nigeria’s human-trafficking pandemic needs urgent solutions

A common tactic used by traffickers is the promise of a job, marriage, or vocational training abroad.

Obi, Atiku, El-Rufai

Politics

El-Rufai rabble-rouser, member of coalition of internally displaced politicians: Presidency

“Their coalition is still an association of internally displaced politicians formed for a wild goose chase,” said Mr Bwala. “Dead on arrival.”