The National Industrial Court has ordered resident doctors to call off their strike and return to work as soon as possible, awaiting the outcome of the substantive litigation.
Everyone has been invited to come back to the bargaining table.
On Friday, Justice Bashar Alkali issued the order in response to a request from the Federal Government.
The court determined that no amount of money could ever compensate for the lives lost under the circumstances.
Mr Tochukwu Maduka, counsel for the Federal Government, had filed an interlocutory injunction application, requesting that the court issue an order prohibiting the defendant from continuing the strike awaiting the outcome of the main litigation.
He stated that resident doctors are important service providers who cannot go on strike since doing so would cause hardship to people.
Femi Aborishade, counsel for the resident doctors, fiercely opposed the motion for an interlocutory injunction and asked the court to dismiss it.
He said that the life of a medical practitioner is no less valuable than that of an ordinary person.
He further pointed out that justice must be balanced, not just to the government, but also to the doctors who are the field marshals in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Both parties had told the vacation judge, Justice Bashar Alkali, at the industrial court, on September 15, that they were set to negotiate and give the court an update by Friday.
But the process of negotiation and possible settlement failed.
Speaking shortly after the court ruling, however, the counsel to the doctors said he would advise them accordingly and show them other options of appeal, but they would not disobey court orders.
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