The Ministry of Defense 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.
It confirmed that payment of outstanding arrears has already commenced, adding that the delay in payment was caused by the absence of budgetary allocation for the program in the 2026 Appropriation Act, rather than any administrative failure.
The ministry’s clarification follows 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, he claimed repeated efforts to resolve the issue were unsuccessful, alleging that their contact person at the ministry could not give 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 on Monday by the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, the ministry said payments had been made in phases, while efforts were ongoing to clear the remaining arrears as more funds become available.
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The ministry stated, “The Ministry of Defense 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.”
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 said 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 explained that the delay in payment was caused by the absence of budgetary allocation for the program in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
“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 said.
It disclosed that the ministry 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.
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