THE Ministry of Defence has dismissed reports alleging that House Officers and Interns at the Armed Forces Reference Hospitals have not been paid their allowances, describing the claims as inaccurate and confirming that payment of outstanding arrears has already commenced.
News Point Nigeria reports that the ministry’s clarification followed a viral video in which a House Officer at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar, who identified himself only as Innocent, alleged that he and his colleagues had worked for about 290 days without receiving their salaries.
In the video, the House Officer claimed that repeated efforts to resolve the issue had proved unsuccessful, alleging that their contact person at the ministry could not provide a definite timeline for payment.
He also said the prolonged delay had placed severe financial and emotional strain on the affected House Officers and Interns.
However, in a statement issued on Monday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Richard Pheelangwah, the ministry maintained that payments had already been made in phases and that efforts were ongoing to clear the remaining arrears as more funds become available.
“Ministry of Defence has noted reports alleging the non-payment of allowances to House Officers and Interns at Armed Forces Reference Hospitals. These claims are inaccurate. Payment of outstanding allowances has commenced,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, the first tranche of payments was made on March 26, 2026, covering January and February allowances for Batches A and B.
It explained that another payment was effected on April 30, 2026, for March allowances for the same batches, while on July 8, 2026, April allowances for Batches A and B, as well as December 2025 and January 2026 allowances for Batch C, were paid.
The ministry attributed the delay in payment to the absence of budgetary allocation for the programme in the 2026 Appropriation Act, stressing that the development was not caused by any administrative lapse.
“The delay is attributable to the absence of budgetary allocation for the payment of these allowances since January 2026 and not to any administrative lapse on the part of the Ministry,” the statement added.
The ministry further disclosed that it had formally notified the Budget Office of the Federation about the funding shortfall through official correspondence dated February 18, 2026, and July 1, 2026, requesting urgent intervention.
Providing details of the programme, the ministry said a total of 703 House Officers and Interns were engaged under the 2025/2026 House Officers and Interns Programme.
It noted that Batches A and B had now been paid up to April 2026, while Batch C, comprising 90 House Officers and Interns, had received allowances for December 2025 and January 2026.
Describing the funding challenge as unprecedented, the ministry said the omission marked the first time such a situation had occurred since the programme was established.
“The outstanding arrears arose because no budgetary provision was made for the House Officers and Interns Programme in the 2026 Appropriation Act. This is an unprecedented development and the first occurrence since the inception of the programme,” the statement said.
The ministry also highlighted the significance of the programme, noting that it has remained a critical component of military healthcare for more than four decades.
“For over four decades, the House Officers and Interns Programme has remained a statutory and strategic component of the Ministry’s healthcare system, contributing significantly to the training of medical professionals for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the nation at large,” the statement added.
Reaffirming its commitment to resolving the issue, the ministry expressed appreciation for the patience, understanding and dedication shown by the affected medical personnel and their families.
“The Ministry remains fully committed to resolving the funding challenge and appreciates the patience, understanding, and dedication of the affected House Officers, Interns, and their families,” Pheelangwah said.
The ministry also urged members of the public to disregard what it described as misleading reports and to rely only on official communications issued by the Ministry of Defence.
“Members of the public are advised to disregard misleading reports and rely only on official communications issued by the Ministry of Defence,” the statement added.