Public and private sector workers in five states
of the North West on Wednesday defied the
nationwide strike action ordered by the Ayuba
Waba faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) over fuel price increase. Federal and
state workers in Katsina, Kano, Kaduna,
Sokoto, and Kebbi have reported to their duty
posts in defiance of the order. Reports from
the five states indicated that socio-economic
activities were also going on, with schools,
banks, markets, hospitals and other
businesses fully opened.
In Sokoto, some civil servants said they would
not join the strike because it would only
aggravate current hardships in the country.
“Such strikes would only aggravate our
situation; the NLC should have given the
Federal Government the benefit of the doubt,”
Aliyu Musa, a worker at the Shehu Kangiwa
Secretariat, said.
Mr Mathias Iliya, a federal worker said “no
worker in his right senses will join the strike
action.
“Nigerians should be fervently prayerful and
patient with the Buhari administration as his
intentions towards Nigerians are truly
sincere.”
Mr El-Mustapha Sani, the Police spokesman in
the state, said all Area and Divisional
Commands had been put on red alert.
“The command had also made arrangements
to fully patrol the state to protect lives, public
and private property,” Sani said.
In Kaduna, civil servants and all businesses
including motor parks were fully opened, with
residents going about their normal business.
At the Kaduna State University, normal
academic activity was going on with students
taking lectures.
Workers of the institution have also fully
turned out for work, and according to the
university’s Public Relations Officer, Adama
Jafar, there was no directive from any union
to proceed on strike.
At the Olusegun Obasanjo State Secretariat,
some of the workers interviewed said that they
were not convinced with the NLC’s argument
for the strike.
One of the workers, Hajiya Lami Bello said
that the NLC should respect the decision of
the National Industrial Court, which ordered
the union not to proceed with the strike.
Another worker, Karim Ahmed said most civil
servants were conscious not to fall into the
trap of ‘no work, no pay’ as announced by the
government.
On her part, Sarah Bijimi urged the NLC and
Nigerians to be patient and support the
Federal Government’s action, saying “with
time things will get better.”
At the Barau Dikko General Hospital, health
workers including doctors, nurses, laboratory
staff were seen attending to out-patients and
those on admission.
Jonathan Yohanna, a staff of the state
Ministry of Health, said “we are not on strike,
all our hospitals are functional and our
officials are working.”
The State Command of Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps, said it had deployed 600
personnel to guard strategic public
installations in the state.
Mr Orndiir Tergungwe, the command’s
spokesman said the move was to avoid
breakdown of law and order during the period
of the strike.
‘We advise the residents to be law abiding and
go about their normal business. We reassure
the residents that their security will be
guaranteed.”
A check at the Kaduna Central market
indicated that traders have turned out for full
business.
Yusuf Bala, a rice dealer, said: “we don’t have
confidence in NLC because at the end of every
strike we don’t benefit from any relief.”
Maman Kobo, a Provision seller, advised the
labour union to “sit down and dialogue with
the government rather than embark on strike.”
Reports from Kebbi indicated that civil
servants had also defied the NLC’s call for
total strike action.
NAN reports that government offices, markets,
banks and business centres have opened for
normal business while civil servants have
reported to their places of work as early as
8:00 am.
The Chairman of the state NLC, Murtala
Usman, told NAN in a telephone interview that
he was on his way to Birnin Kebbi from Abuja,
and insisted that the strike would hold.
According to him, the NLC will assemble
workers by 10:00 am at the Labour House
before embarking on the strike.
The State Secretary of Birnin Kebbi Federal
Medical Centre of National Association of
Nurses and Midwives, Usman Mohammed, said
they had not received any signal to embark on
the strike.
“We are waiting for the signal from the
national secretariat of our association and
until we receive the signal we will not embark
on the strike”, he added.
A cross section of workers and residents
indicated they were not satisfied with the
reasons advanced by the NLC to embark on
the strike.
In Kano, the nationwide strike action called by
the organised labour has also met a setback,
as workers in the state ignored the directive.
According to a NAN correspondent who
monitored the situation, state and federal
government workers had all reported to their
various places of work.
Also at the Audu Bako Secretariat, and Federal
Government Secretariat at about 8:30 am,
workers were seen in their respective offices
while others were seen within the premises in
groups discussing the strike.
Similarly, all commercial banks, markets and
motor parks had all opened for business in the
state.
As at the time of filing the report, traders at
the two major markets in Sabon Gari and
Kantin Kwari had opened their shops for
business as directed by the National President
of the Harmonised Traders Union of Nigeria,
Alhaji Bature Abdulaziz.
Abdulaziz had on Monday called on traders
across the country to ignore the planned
strike by the labour unions.
At the First Bank of Nigeria, Kano main
branch, workers were also seen going about
their normal schedules.
One of the staff of the Bank, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, described the strike as
unnecessary, adding that majority of Nigerians
were not in support of it.
“This strike is a failure as most Nigerians are
not in support of it”, he said.
NAN also reports that primary and secondary
schools as well as other higher institutions in
the state had opened.
However, in Bayero University Kano, some
lecturers had joined the strike while others
were working.
In Katsina, workers at the State and Federal
Secretariats have reported to their duty posts.
Jibrin Garkuwo, a middle-level worker, said
that they decided not to join the strike
because Katsina was the home state of
President Buhari.
He said that they are ready to support the
president to achieve his economic policies
that will move the country forward.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of NLC in the state,
Alhaji Lawal Sandawa, said the union would
assess the situation before commenting on
the strike. http://saharareporters.com/2016/05/18/nigeria-workers-northwest-zone-ignore-nlc-strike

Ok

Before unko, not every region is insane like one forum like that for one region.