The National Industrial Court has fixed September 17 to rule on the application of jurisdiction and contempt of court, filed by both the Federal Government and the Association of Nigerian Resident Doctors.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the striking resident doctors, Femi Falana (SAN), told the court that he had an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.
The counsel to the Federal Government, Tochukwu Maduka (SAN), however, pointed out that the issue of contempt of the court, by the resident doctors, should be heard first, before that of the jurisdiction.
He added that there was an order by the court that the resident doctors and the Federal Government should suspend all hostilities and maintain the status quo, but the doctors did not obey the court order.
According to him, the strike action, embarked upon on August 2 by the resident doctors has wreaked untold suffering on the citizenry, amounting to numerous deaths of persons.
After listening to the submission of both parties, Justice Bashar Alkali fixed September 17 to rule.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government and the resident doctors have both agreed to go back to the negotiating table.