The striking resident doctors under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, refused to end their action despite talks with the Federal Government on Wednesday.
They insisted that unless they were paid the amount owed them as salaries, they would not call off the strike.
The talks which started at about 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday did not end until Thursday morning.
The leadership of the association consulted regularly with their members who were not part of the meeting as it went on.
Unable to be persuaded to call off the strike pending when the government would pay them, the two bodies went away on the note that the strike would end once the Central Bank paid the amount promised.
It was gathered that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, mounted pressure on the doctors to call off the strike to no avail.
The doctors rather preferred to wait till Saturday when it was expected that consultations would have been made among its members and possibly too, their money would have been paid.
It would be recalled that the doctors commenced their industrial action on Monday following a statement to that effect by the president of NARD, Dr. Onyebueze John.
“NARD has resolved to reject the promissory offer from government, and proceed on total and indefinite strike action until all items in her demand list for strike are resolved by government,” he said.