By Desire Uzochukwu
Resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, on Thursday issued the Lagos State Government a seven-day ultimatum to implement the Specialist Allowance for Grade Level 14 doctors and pay outstanding salary and advancement arrears owed affected members.
The doctors, under the aegis of the Association of Resident Doctors, LASUTH, LASUTH-ARD, warned that failure to resolve the issues within the stipulated period could trigger further industrial action and create industrial disharmony in the state’s health sector.
The association listed three immediate demands to include implementation and payment of the Specialist Allowance to all Grade Level 14 resident doctors at LASUTH; payment of arrears of the allowance; and immediate payment of salary shortfalls and advancement arrears owed affected members.
Addressing journalists in Lagos, President of LASUTH-ARD, Dr. Gabriel Akerele, who addressed journalists in Lagos, accused some state government officials of misleading the association over the inclusion of the Specialist Allowance for Senior Registrar 1, SR1, in the Professional Allowance Table approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He said the association had been assured repeatedly that the allowance had been incorporated into the table forwarded to the governor for approval, only to discover that the August salaries paid to affected doctors did not include the allowance.
Akerele said: “We were told that the Specialist Allowance for SR1 had been incorporated into the Professional Allowance Table and that it had been sent to Mr Governor for approval. We gave them the benefit of the doubt.
“We even met with Mr Governor on July 17. He brought out the file, went through it and approved it immediately. We were happy because we believed the Specialist Allowance had been captured.
“But after the August salary was paid, we discovered that it was not there. When we went back to the state officials, we started hearing another story that it was not actually included and that they were waiting for another list.”
According to him, the development was particularly disturbing because resident doctors at federal institutions had started receiving the allowance since February 2026, while some states, including Osun, Delta and Enugu, had also commenced implementation.
He said the Federal Government had also committed to paying 19 months’ arrears of the professional allowances, with payment expected to commence this month.
“This is very disappointing and very painful. We were assured that it had been done, and we relied on those assurances in dealing with our members. Now we have discovered that it was not captured,” he said.
The LASUTH-ARD president explained that the Professional Allowance Table comprised several components, including Specialist Allowance, Call Duty Allowance, Teaching Allowance and Rural Posting Allowance.
He stressed that the Specialist Allowance should not be restricted to consultants, arguing that Senior Registrars on Grade Level 14 were already receiving the allowance at the federal level.
“The Specialist Allowance is part of the Professional Allowance Table. We insisted that Grade Level 14 resident doctors must be included because their counterparts at the federal level are being paid,” Gabriel said.
The doctors also accused the state government of withholding promotion-related salary arrears owed members whose advancements became effective last year.
Akerele said some affected doctors received notional promotion in July 2025, with the financial aspect expected to commence in September, but payment did not begin until November, leaving outstanding arrears for September and October.
He said the arrears had remained unpaid despite repeated representations to the relevant authorities.
“It is a shortfall in salary. These doctors have earned the promotion and are owed by right. We have written several letters, but we keep being told that arrears cannot be paid without express approval from the governor,” he said.
Akerele said the association was not asking for preferential treatment but for the state to honour its obligations to doctors who had earned their entitlements.
“We cannot fold our hands while our members continue to suffer financial and career stagnation. To single out SR1s for exclusion and deny deserving members their promotion arrears is unjust, demoralising and counterproductive to healthcare delivery,” he said.
He further disclosed that the association had engaged officials from the Ministries of Health and Establishments and Training, the Public Service Office and the State Treasury Office over the issues.
He appealed directly to Governor Sanwo-Olu to intervene, saying the governor might be unaware that the allowance was not included in the file he had approved.
“We want Mr Governor to be aware of what is happening because he may believe that he has already signed and approved everything, not knowing that the Specialist Allowance was not captured.”
The association said it remained committed to dialogue but would not compromise on the welfare of its members.
“We remain committed to dialogue, but we will not compromise on the welfare of our members,” the doctors said, warning that failure to resolve the demands within seven days would leave them with no option but to take further action.
The doctors also commended the governor for the payment of Medical Residency Training Funds and the implementation of the Professional Allowance for doctors in Lagos State, while acknowledging the contributions of the First Lady, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, to healthcare delivery and industrial harmony in the state.
