By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Ministry of Defence has clarified the status of allowance payments to House Officers and Interns serving in Armed Forces Reference Hospitals, stating that contrary to recent reports, payment of outstanding entitlements has commenced.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, the ministry described reports alleging non-payment of allowances as inaccurate.
The statement explained that the Batches A and B received their January and February 2026 allowances on March 26, 2026, followed by payment of their March allowances on April 30, 2026. It added that on July 8, 2026, Batches A and B were paid their April allowances, while Batch C received allowances covering December 2025 and January 2026.
The authorities said the outstanding arrears resulted from the absence of budgetary allocation for the House Officers and Interns Programme 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 noted.
It further disclosed that the Ministry had formally notified the Budget Office of the Federation of the funding gap through official correspondence and requested the necessary intervention.
The ministry said a total of 703 House Officers and Interns were engaged under the 2025/2026 programme, adding that Batches A and B had 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 situation as unprecedented, the ministry noted that it was the first time since the inception of the programme over four decades ago that no budgetary provision had been made for the payment of allowances.
It reiterated its commitment to resolving the funding challenge, expressing appreciation to the affected House Officers, Interns and their families for their patience and dedication.
The ministry also advised the public to disregard misleading reports and rely solely on official communications regarding the matter.
