Di Ministry of Defence don explain why dem dey delay di payment of outstanding arrears of allowances to House Officers and Interns for Armed Forces reference hospitals. According to di Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, na because no budgetary provision for di programme for 2026 Appropriation Act.
For statement wey im release on Monday, Pheelangwah call di development “unprecedented and di first occurrence since di inception of di programme.” Im say di reports wey dey claim say dem no pay allowances to House Officers and Interns at Armed Force Reference hospitals no correct, because payment don start.
Im say dem make payments as follows: 26 March 2026: Batches A and B – January and February 2026 Allowances; 30 April 2026: Batches A and B – March 2026 Allowances; 8 July 2026: Batches A and B – April 2026 Allowances; and Batch C – December 2025 and January 2026 Allowances.
Pheelangwah say efforts dey go on to clear di remaining arrears as additional funds become available. Im urge di public to disregard di misleading reports and rely only on official communications from di Ministry.
Di Permanent Secretary further explain say di delay na because of absence of budgetary allocation for di payment of di allowances since January 2026, not because of any administrative lapse from di Ministry. Im say di Ministry don formally draw di attention of di Budget Office of di Federation to di funding shortfall through correspondence (Refs: AZ/150CON/I/42 dated 18 February 2026 and AZ/150CON/I/53 dated 1 July 2026) and request di necessary intervention.
“A total of 703 House Officers and Interns were engaged for di 2025/2026 House Officers and Interns Programme. Batches A and B don receive payment up to April 2026, while Batch C, wey get 90 House Officers and Interns, don receive allowances for December 2025 and January 2026.”
Im add say for over four decades, di House Officers and Interns Programme remain a statutory and strategic component of di Ministry’s healthcare system, wey dey contribute to di training of medical professionals for di Armed Forces of Nigeria and di nation at large. Pheelangwah say di Ministry remain fully committed to resolving di funding challenge and appreciate di patience, understanding, and dedication of di affected House Officers, Interns, and dia families.
