From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Resident doctors under the umbrella of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have commenced nationwide warning strike over the prolonged captivity of one of their members, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola.
Their withdrawal of services has left the patients in the care of a few available consultants, who were hitherto assisted by the Resident Doctors that constituted a larger number of doctors in the health care facilities.
According to the association, Dr. Popoola who was a Registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, said the warning strike would be for seven days, and “to register their displeasure with the inability of the government and security agencies to rescue one of our colleagues who has been in captivity for nearly eight months.”
He explained that the strike will be total, and during the strike, there will be no concessions, and there will be no emergency care. “Before now, we had protested in all tertiary hospitals across the nation to demand Dr. Popoola’s release but that has not been done, hence the decision to temporarily withdraw our services nationwide.”
Expectedly, this has increased the frustrations of the health-seeking Nigerians who patronise public healthcare facilities in Nigeria, thus subjecting them to hard times.
As a result of the strike, skeletal services are being provided for patients in various public health care facilities in Abuja and other parts of the country, as only consultant doctors offer services in the hospitals.
However, it was gathered that some of the doctors, out of their benevolence, have promised to adopt the telemedicine system for some of their patients, while some insisted they would stay away from the hospital facilities until the warning strike is over.
Meanwhile, leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Edwin Clark, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the successful rescue of 20 medical students and eight National Youth Service Corps members who were abducted by bandits in Benue State.
Reflecting on the recent events, the elder statesman stated, “This past weekend was filled with joy and gladness in my heart,” following the successful operation to free the students, who were en route to a conference in Enugu State. He noted that the timely rescue of these innocent individuals has been a significant relief for their families and the nation.
Clark also highlighted a recent analysis by Dr. Reuben Abati, who praised the President and security forces for their efforts, stating, “I wholeheartedly agree with his analysis.”
According to Clark, the ongoing crisis of kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria is severely impacting the nation’s economy and daily life, particularly in agricultural sectors where farmers face increasing threats. He noted that many are now too fearful to access their farms, leading to a decline in agricultural productivity.
He added that traveling through regions like Abuja to Kaduna has become perilous, with individuals uncertain about their safety even during daylight hours. He added that the pervasive fear of abduction has turned kidnapping into a formidable weapon against societal security, economic stability, and social interaction.
He noted that the kidnap incidents were smaller to that of Kaduna, which resulted in the death of a medical doctor in Kaduna who was preparing to leave the country for further studies.
He said: “This brings to mind what happened In Kaduna when some kidnap victims were killed, including a medical doctor, who had concluded arrangements to travel out of the country for further studies just few days before her death in the hands of these murderous fellows. In order to free the remaining victims abducted, Dr. Gumi and others were largely involved, meeting freely. Huge sums of money were paid as ransom to the bandits. The security forces, including the military, seemed helpless. The then Governor of the State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, stated that the places where the bandits are staying is well known, that some persons even had their telephone numbers. This means that their hideouts are accessible.”
Clark expressed his joy over the safe return of the students, who were kidnapped while traveling to a conference in Enugu State. He praised the efforts of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, along with all the agencies involved in the rescue mission.
The elder statesman emphasised the need for such rescue methods to be deployed across all regions of Nigeria, including the North East, North West, North Central, South East, South West, and South South, to address the growing insecurity in the country.
Clark also called on state governors to take a more active role in ensuring the safety of their citizens, stating that the excuse of not controlling the security forces in their states is unacceptable.
He noted that governors often utilize these same security agencies to fight their political opponents, suggesting that they have the means to deploy them effectively for security purposes as well. “I also call on the State Governors to up their game. The issue of security left in the hands of the President alone is not tenable. The excuse by the Governors that they do not control the security forces in their States, does not hold water, because they use these same security agencies to fight their opponents in their various States. I have not heard that the security agencies have refused the call of any governor to assist them in their states.”