The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors from continuing with their ongoing strike pending the determination of the substantive suit before it.
The court ordered members of the association nationwide to return to work while noting that no amount can compensate for the loss of lives during the strike.
Justice Bashar Alkali made the order on Friday while ruling on an application by the Federal Government in the suit against NARD.
The Federal Government’s lawyer, Tochukwu Maduka (SAN), had moved a motion for interlocutory injunction, and prayed the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant from continuing with the industrial action pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
He also prayed the court to compel the members of NARD across the country to return to their duty posts pending the determination of the substantive suit.
He argued that resident doctors as persons who provide essential services cannot embark on strike and continuing to do so will inflict more hardship on citizens.
The resident doctor’s lawyer, Robinson Ariyo, vehemently opposed the application for interlocutory injunction and urged the court to discountenance their application.
He argued that the life of a medical doctor is not less useful than the life of the average human being.
He argued that justice must be balanced, not just to the government, but to the doctors who are the field marshals in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
