Conflicting signals were all the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had to offer Nigerians Thursday on the actual fate of their six-week old industrial action.

The NMA had strongly denied that it suspended the strike, despite appeals from government and concerned stakeholders following the threat of Ebola virus, which was imported by a Liberian diplomat.

According to a statement from the body, an emergency delegates meeting of Wednesday, after viewing all the demands as having not yet been satisfactorily met by government, “upheld that the strike must continue until government does the needful.”

It was signed by the NMA 1st Vice President, Dr Titus Ibekwe, 2nd Vice President, Dr Bartholomew Okorochukwu, Secretary General, Dr Adewunmi Alayaki, National Treasurer, Dr Abubakar Abdulrahaman, and Editor of NMJ, Dr Francis A. Uba.

Discountenancing the statement, however, the NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, announced that the strike has been called off. The statement he signed alone contradicted the former, stating among others that at the same meeting, the body observed that: “Government has made positive response to all our 24 demands, issued 10 circulars, MOU and letters of authority, and promised to kick start the payments on relativity and skipping within the next four working days.

“The pains, pangs, groans and cries of 170 million Nigerians cannot continue to be ignored. In view of the above, the ongoing strike of NMA, which commenced on July 1, 2014, was suspended on Wednesday, August 6, 2014.”

•Excerpted from a Guardian report. Photo shows a group of Nigerian doctors during a protest march.