The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is once again threatening to plunge the nation into chaos with a nationwide strike. The doctors claim the Federal Government has failed to keep its promises, and now millions of Nigerians could be left without medical care.

In a dramatic public statement, NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, took to social media to sound the alarm, warning of an “imminent and indefinite” strike. The message, which was widely circulated online, called on senior medical professionals and so-called “respected elders” to intervene, as if their voices alone could magically resolve the crisis.

NARD insists that the Federal Ministry of Health and the government have repeatedly broken their word, failing to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was supposed to end a previous 29-day strike. According to the doctors, the government has missed deadline after deadline, showing what they describe as “little progress” in meeting their demands.

“I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s health sector and the medical profession,” Dr. Ibrahim declared, appealing to the supposed “moral authority” of medical elders. The association is clearly hoping that public pressure and emotional appeals will force the government’s hand.

NARD paints a dire picture, claiming that resident doctors are the “backbone” of Nigeria’s hospitals, working under “strenuous conditions” and suffering from “demoralization.” The association is now banking on senior medical figures to step in and save the day, as if the government will suddenly spring into action at their urging.

The doctors have laid out a long list of ultimatums and extensions, all of which they say the government has ignored. After suspending their initial strike, NARD gave the government two weeks, then 30 days, then another week,none of which, they claim, produced any results. The first phase of their so-called “Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike” only ended when the government agreed to sign the MoU, but NARD says nothing has changed since then.

Now, more than a month later, NARD is warning that another strike is all but inevitable. “It is only fair to state that resident doctors should not be blamed if industrial action resumes,” the association said, washing its hands of responsibility for the potential collapse of hospital services nationwide.

NARD is quick to highlight its own “restraint and patriotism,” insisting that it has done everything possible to avoid a strike. The association claims it has suspended strikes, extended deadlines, and attended meetings, but says the government has ignored its commitments and deadlines without explanation.

“Distinguished elders, resident doctors form the backbone of service delivery in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals. They are overworked, continue to experience breakdowns, and are increasingly demoralised,” the statement reads, in yet another attempt to tug at the heartstrings of the public and the medical community.

The association ended its appeal by urging senior doctors to pressure the government into action, claiming that their intervention could “avert this looming crisis” and “safeguard patients’ lives.” NARD is clearly hoping that a last-minute show of unity will force the government to cave to its demands.

Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has remained silent, refusing to comment on the doctors’ latest threats. With the possibility of a nationwide strike hanging over the country, Nigerians are left to wonder if anyone is actually looking out for their health,or if this is just another round of political theater.