Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, stated this after a meeting between the Federal Government’s representatives and the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors.

Ngige, who described the meeting as ‘very fruitful,’ said that evidence was tendered by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to show that insurance companies had started paying up.

The evidence, he added, corroborated what the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, told the Federal Executive Council.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Charles Akpan, titled, ‘We have commenced payment of death benefits to deceased doctors -FG.’

Ngige said, “Over a billion naira is for payment as death benefits. Evidence has been tendered about those who have received the cheques.

And so, we are happy that something has been done in that direction in health institutions. This is apart from what happens in other government establishments covered by this life insurance.”

Regarding the Residency Training Fund which is supposed to be in the 2021 budget, the minister said the Budget Office of the Federation has also provided evidence showing that the N4.3b due to them was captured under the personnel costs in service wide votes.

He said work is in progress for those who are migrating from the Government Financial Management Information Systems

platform to Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, adding that the budget and IPPIS offices were given about 30 days to conclude all the outstanding issues.

He disclosed that a committee has been constituted to look into the issue of tertiary institutions that are not adhering to the abolition of bench fees.

Ngige said, “Bench fees are fees paid by residents to institutions where they have gone to acquire training that is not available in their original training institutions. They (resident doctors) have claimed that some training hospitals like Lagos University Teaching Hospital and University College Ibadan are not adhering to that agreement and a special committee has been set up under the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health to look into it.

“The Chairman of Committee of CMD’s, Prof. Jaf Momoh who is the CMD of National Hospital Abuja will assist him. We hope that matter will be sorted out in two weeks.”