NARD to MDCN: You can’t stop trainee doctors from joining strike

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) does not have the legal right to stop trainee doctors from joining the union on industrial action during their one-year internship.

The chairman of the MDCN, Professor Abba Hassan, during the swearing in of new trainee doctors, warned them against participating in industrial actions.

Hassan maintained that house officers engaging in industrial action was illegal and would not be further tolerated.”

But in a statement jointly signed by its national president, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, secretary-general, Dr Jerry Isogun and publicity/social secretary, Dr Dotun Osikoya, the NARD insisted that trainee doctors remained key stakeholders.

The page 12 of Friday’s Daily Trust carried the above article. How unserious or unprofessional can anyone heading security outfit be by acting in this way? Why should the National Assembly talk with the new service chiefs in public? Screening candidates for security positions ought to be done without publicity, media.

You cannot expose your intention before the world in a situation when you don’t even know who is enemy, for or partner in progress. Both the NASS joint committee on security and the new top security officers have failed by giving information about their strategies.

Security is intelligence gathering. When you think aloud, you educate and inform your enemies about your capacity. But in a country where we believe that the soldiers with their guns will scare away criminals and even terrorists, it will be safer for the top ranking military officers to be a bit enigmatic.

I wish them great success so that Nigeria can be safe.