During a press conference at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after an extraordinary meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige expressed their objection.
Speaking to a question regarding the medical and dental graduates strike that could last five days if compulsory licence conditions are not met, Ngige said the bill would violate Nigeria's existing labor laws.
The bill's sponsor, Ganiyu Johnson, who represents Lagos State in the House of Representatives and explained that the move was designed to curb the brain drain of medical professionals from Nigeria.
The legislation is titied: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to mandate any Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioner to practise in Nigeria for a minimum of five years before being granted a full licence by the council to make quality health services available to Nigeria; and for related matters.”
In response to the introduction of the bill, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has vowed that it will resist any attempt to enslave Nigerian medical doctors
The association announced that it would go on strike for five days and demand the immediate withdrawal of the bill among other demands.
But Senator Ngige said, “Nobody can say they (doctors) will not get a practising licence till after five years. It will run counter to the laws of the land that have established the progression in the practice of medicine.
“I am a medical doctor. When you graduate from medical school, you go on a one-year apprenticeship called housemanship or internship as the case maybe. After your internship, you are now given a full licence because prior to that, what you have is a provisional licence of registration with the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
“So, after that intensive training, you were signed off by consultants and you became a fully qualified medical doctor to attend to human beings and to work without any supervision again". Supervision then is voluntary.
