By Emmanuel Daudu
The Ministry of Defence has dismissed reports alleging the non-payment of allowances to House Officers and Interns serving at Armed Forces Reference Hospitals, insisting that the claims are misleading as payment of outstanding allowances is already underway.
The clarification was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, on Monday, who explained that the Ministry had commenced the phased payment of arrears while efforts continue to secure funds to offset the remaining outstanding balances.
According to the Ministry, payments have so far been made in three phases: on March 26, 2026, Batches A and B received their January and February 2026 allowances; on April 30, 2026, the same batches were paid their March 2026 allowances; while on July 8, 2026, Batches A and B received April 2026 allowances, alongside Batch C, which was paid its December 2025 and January 2026 allowances.
The Ministry attributed the delay in payments to the absence of budgetary allocation for the House Officers and Interns Programme since January 2026, stressing that the situation was not caused by any administrative lapse.
It disclosed that it had formally notified the Budget Office of the Federation of the funding shortfall through official correspondences dated February 18, 2026, and July 1, 2026, requesting urgent intervention to address the challenge.
The statement revealed that 703 House Officers and Interns were engaged under the 2025/2026 House Officers and Interns Programme. It added that Batches A and B have now been paid up to April 2026, while Batch C, comprising 90 House Officers and Interns, has received allowances covering December 2025 and January 2026.
According to the Ministry, the outstanding arrears resulted from the omission of budgetary provisions for the House Officers and Interns Programme in the 2026 Appropriation Act, describing the development as unprecedented and the first of its kind since the programme was established.
It noted that for more than four decades, the programme has remained a statutory and strategic component of the Ministry’s healthcare system, playing a vital role in training medical professionals for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the country.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the funding challenge and thanked the affected House Officers, Interns and their families for their patience, understanding and dedication.
It also urged members of the public to disregard what it described as misleading reports and rely only on official communications issued by the Ministry of Defence.
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