Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Medical doctors in Ondo State, operating under the aegis of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), have issued a stark eight-day ultimatum to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, demanding immediate action over long-standing issues of unpaid allowances, poor welfare packages, and a rapidly deteriorating healthcare system. The ultimatum, announced on Monday, April 20, 2026, sets a deadline of April 28, 2026, after which the doctors warn they will convene an emergency congress to decide on a possible withdrawal of services, a move that could cripple public health services across the state. The association accused the state government of persistent neglect, pointing to a pattern of unfulfilled promises and ignored communications despite repeated appeals over several months.
The core of the doctors’ grievances revolves around the state government’s failure to implement two key Federal Government circulars that directly affect their remuneration and working conditions. According to a statement released by the Ondo NMA Chairman, Dr. Muyiwa Alonge, the first is Circular SWC/S/04/S.218/IV/876 of November 19, 2025, which provides for the consequential adjustment of salaries, while the second is Circular SWC/S/04/S.218/III/572 of July 26, 2025, which establishes an accoutrement allowance. Dr. Alonge emphasized that these are not new requests but statutory entitlements that their colleagues at the federal level and in many other states have been receiving for nearly a year. He further lamented that the government has also failed to pay the 2024 promotion allowance to its members, adding to the growing frustration and financial strain on medical professionals.
Beyond the financial demands, the doctors painted a grim picture of a health sector on the verge of collapse, largely exacerbated by the well-documented “japa” syndrome, which has seen a mass exodus of Nigerian medical professionals seeking better opportunities abroad. Dr. Alonge noted that the departure of a significant number of doctors has left the remaining few severely overworked, with many now performing the duties of up to five people. He described a situation where some general hospitals are operating with only one doctor serving an entire local government area, leaving physicians with no time for their families or personal professional development. The doctors also highlighted the dangerous working conditions they face, including the daily use of obsolete, and sometimes completely nonexistent, medical equipment, forcing them to improvise in dilapidated facilities that are unfit for modern healthcare delivery. “Our members are stressed, exhausted, demoralized, and overworked,” the NMA chairman stated, adding that they are being paid under an old salary structure that cannot keep pace with today’s cost of living.
The NMA detailed a long history of failed engagements with the state government, underscoring that their current ultimatum is a last resort after numerous attempts at dialogue were ignored. The association revealed that it had written formal letters to the government on November 24, 2025, December 2, 2025, and January 8, 2026, specifically addressing the outstanding circulars. In addition to these written communications, the doctors said they had held several meetings with Governor Aiyedatiwa himself and other top government officials, all to no avail. The association also claimed to have presented a carefully prepared position paper that could serve as a blueprint for revitalizing the state’s moribund healthcare system, but there is no evidence that any of its recommendations have been implemented. This history of broken promises and inaction has left the doctors with little faith in further dialogue, pushing them to issue a firm and public ultimatum.
In their formal demands, the NMA has called for the immediate implementation of the consequential adjustment of salaries along with the payment of all arrears from the effective date as stipulated by the circular. They are also demanding the immediate payment of the accoutrement allowance, the settlement of all outstanding 2024 promotion allowances, and the urgent commencement of recruitment for doctors and other health workers to alleviate the overwhelming workload on the existing staff. While the doctors expressed a clear reluctance to embark on industrial action, fully aware that patients would bear the brunt of any shutdown, they insisted that the current situation is already a crisis. “We do not want to go on strike because the people suffer when doctors withdraw services. But the reality is that the system is already collapsing, and patients are already suffering,” the statement read, warning that continued inaction could lead to a full-blown humanitarian crisis in the state’s public health sector. As the clock ticks down to the April 28 deadline, all eyes are on the Aiyedatiwa administration to see if it will avert yet another healthcare crisis or face the consequences of a prolonged shutdown.
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