Government had insisted on enforcing the regulation to cover about seven weeks the recent doctors’ strike lasted.

The doctors under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) proceeded on strike to press home the demand for payment of their salary owed in arrears of three months and short-payment in their 10 months salary.

NARD had insisted that if these payments were not effected, they would down tools but government released N7.99 billion for settlement of the bills which led to suspension of the strike.

By yesterday, when NARD led by its national president, Dr. Jerry Oguzie visited the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja, to monitor the verification exercise by the Health Ministry to ascertain the actual staff strength of the health workers, the association was shocked to discover that their emoluments for the period they were on strike were not included in their total package, yet to be settled.

"Although we confirmed that the verification exercise was going on, we are however, sad to note that our salary for the period we were on strike were being deducted from the total amount to be paid to us.

"We want to state that this attitude is condemnable and is likely to exacerbate the already frosty industrial relations in the health sector.

"We shall be conveying a meeting of our National Executive Committee (NEC) next week to deliberate on the effects of this deduction. But we want to use this medium to appeal to President Olusegun Obasanjo to intervene in this matter.

"We appreciate that thousands of Nigerians died during the period, we went on strike and it would be very sad if this sad scenario repeats itself and we know the president would not want this matter to prolong," Dr. Oguzie said.

Health Minister, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, had told journalists that except the verification exercise was completed, no doctor would be paid.

The exercise took off last Monday and would continue until the authorities in the ministry are satisfied.