“Don’t Compete With God,” Ngige Counsels Striking Doctors
Chris Ngige, the country’s Minister of Labour and Employment, has advised striking doctors to be humble and carry themselves with dignity rather than “play God or compete with God.”
On Thursday in Abuja, Ngige provided the advice while addressing at the 2nd Summit of Medical Elders Forum.
The symposium, which was organized by the Africa Health Budget Network, with the theme of ‘Medical Profession: a Look into the Past, Present, and Future,’ according to the Nigerian News Agency.
Nigige highlighted his concern about the country’s health and suggested that the medical profession was in jeopardy.
“At no time in the history of NMA (Nigerian Medical Association) and the medical association, was I seeing our association and our profession ever being in danger as I am seeing them now.
“Many people will not see it, but from where I am sitting and standing, I can see danger ahead.
“We are one of the oldest professions on earth, metamorphosing from natural and traditional healers to take away pain from people and consequentially save lives.
“We don’t create lives, God creates, we only preserve people’s lives through the act of God. In doing so, God has given us some powers.
“But there is something God does not want, God does not want when he gives you powers you use it to try to say that you are like him or you are competing with him.
“God loves you to do that which he has asked you to do; to use that power with humility.
“Doctors should ask themselves questions; why is it that it is when your colleagues are in government that you go on the greatest number of strikes?
“Some of these colleagues were Presidents, Secretaries-General of the Nigerian Medical Association and even NARD (Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors),” Ngige asked?
Since 2015, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has been hit by four strikes, according to the minister.
Residents have been on strike since Monday, August 2, 2021, seeking minimum payment of unpaid doctors’ salary and hazard allowances, as well as enrolment of doctors in integrated personal payroll information systems, among other things, as a condition for ending their indefinite strike.
