Defence Ministry Denies Claims of Unpaid Medical Intern Allowances, Says Arrears Payment Underway

By Harriet Tornguvan 

The Federal Ministry of Defence has dismissed reports alleging that House Officers and Interns at Armed Forces Reference Hospitals have not been paid their allowances, describing the claims as misleading and confirming that the payment of outstanding arrears is already in progress.

In a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Richard Pheelangwah, the Ministry said payments have been made in phases, with Batches A and B receiving their January and February 2026 allowances on March 26, followed by March allowances on April 30. On July 8, the Ministry also paid April allowances to Batches A and B, while Batch C received allowances covering December 2025 and January 2026.

According to the Ministry, efforts are ongoing to settle the remaining arrears as additional funds become available.

The Ministry explained that the delays were caused by the absence of budgetary provisions for the House Officers and Interns Programme in the 2026 Appropriation Act, stressing that the situation was not due to any administrative failure.

It disclosed that it had formally notified the Budget Office of the Federation of the funding shortfall through official correspondence dated February 18 and July 1, 2026, requesting urgent intervention to address the challenge.

The Ministry revealed that a total of 703 House Officers and Interns were engaged under the 2025/2026 programme. While Batches A and B have now been paid up to April 2026, Batch C, comprising 90 House Officers and Interns, has received allowances for December 2025 and January 2026.

Describing the funding gap as unprecedented, the Ministry noted that it is the first time in over four decades that no budgetary allocation has been made for the House Officers and Interns Programme, a statutory initiative regarded as critical to the training of medical professionals serving both the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the wider healthcare sector.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the funding challenge and commended the affected House Officers, Interns and their families for their patience and dedication.

It also urged members of the public to disregard what it described as misleading reports on the issue and rely only on official information released by the Ministry of Defence.