Doctors begin three-day warning strike
Medical doctors under the National Association of Government General and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) in Ondo State have embarked on a three-day warning strike, crippling activities in government-owned health facilities across the state.
The strike, which commenced on Monday, is in protest against what the doctors described as the “gross neglect of the health sector and welfare of medical practitioners” by the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
In a joint statement issued in Akure, the State Chairman of NAGGMDP, Dr. Richard Obe, and Secretary, Dr. Adekunle Owolabi, lamented the severe shortage of medical personnel, alleging that some government hospitals operate with only one doctor per local government area.
The doctors also decried an alleged hike in taxation since April 2025 without prior dialogue and condemned the non-payment of salaries and allowances to eight doctors who were recruited in October 2024.
They stressed that working under such difficult conditions without their rightful entitlements was no longer sustainable, warning that failure to address their demands could lead to further industrial action.
“Others include: unpaid hazard allowances for October to December 2023 and January 2024, outstanding promotion arrears from June to December 2024, and salary shortfalls and unpaid allowances for other members
While threatening that the strike would lead to total industrial action in all the government hospitals, the medical doctors demanded immediate action from the Governor Aiyedatiwa-led government to avoid the total shutdown of the state’s health sector.
According to them, parts of their demand include the immediate recruitment of more medical doctors across the 18 LGAs of the state and full payment of outstanding salaries, arrears, and statutory allowances.
“The reversal of the new tax regime, payment of outstanding salaries and allowances for newly employed officers and payment of owed hazard allowances and settlement of promotion arrears for eligible members,” they added in the statement.
The striking doctors, however, warned that failure to address these pressing issues and demands during the warning strike would result in further widespread consequences for the state’s fragile health system.
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The NAGGMDP had earlier issued a 14-working-day ultimatum to Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to address the challenges in the state health sector, but noted that it was ignored by the state government.
When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, said the state government was already addressing the challenges raised by the medical doctors.
“We have started paying the arrears because the governor has given an instruction that the funds be paid, and we are going to address their challenges.
“On the issue of shortage. The state government is employing medical doctors, and if they have people that they want us to employ, they should come forward with it.
“Don’t forget that we put up an advert and we employed the ones who applied. The government can’t manufacture doctors, but we are ready to employ them,” he said.
