Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned of an impending nationwide healthcare shutdown, citing the Federal Government's failure to implement agreements with the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD). In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Atiku condemned the government for reneging on the Professional Allowance Table it had previously signed, describing it as a betrayal. He emphasized that resident doctors should not be forced to beg for entitlements already agreed upon, especially after working under gruelling conditions in an already fragile health system.
Atiku highlighted unresolved issues including 19 months of unpaid Professional Allowance arrears, delayed promotions, and the non-disbursement of the Medical Residency Training Fund. He attributed the ongoing exodus of doctors to countries like the UK, Canada, and Saudi Arabia to leadership failure, not lack of patriotism. "Every doctor Nigeria loses to the UK, Canada, or Saudi Arabia is a failure of leadership, not a failure of patriotism," he said. Atiku reiterated his support for NARD and urged the Tinubu administration to honour its commitments to prevent a collapse in public healthcare services.
Atiku's warning gains weight given the 19 months of unpaid allowances already endured by resident doctors. When a former vice president feels compelled to publicly challenge the government over a signed agreement, it signals a deep erosion of trust between medical workers and the state. This is not just about arrears—it is about whether healthcare workers believe the government will ever keep its promises. For millions of Nigerians reliant on public hospitals, the cost of that broken trust could be measured in lives.
