Stock Food At Home, It Will Be Total And Indefinite Strike – NLC, TUC To Nigerians

Organised labour insisted on Friday that it would shut down Nigeria on Tuesday because of government’s refusal to do something positive about the pains inflicted on Nigerians by fuel subsidy removal.

Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) across the states of the federation told Saturday Tribune on Friday that the directive of their national headquarters for an indefinite strike starting from Tuesday would be firmly carried out.

They advised Nigerians to stock their homes with food and other essential items so as to minimise the effects of the shut down.

Ekiti State

The NLC chairman in Ekiti State, Kolapo Olatunde, told Saturday Tribune that the Federal Government has failed in its responsibility of providing practical and effective measures to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal since May 29, 2023.

Olatunde said: “President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidy since May 29 without consulting stakeholders so as to devise means to make life easy for the citizenry.

“After the independence holiday on Monday, every worker should stay home. This is not partisan. It has nothing to do with religion. If fuel price should be jacked up, something urgent should be done about that so that salary will be able to buy necessities.

“If nothing is done before Tuesday, it (the strike) is going to be indefinite and total. We are all in it together. There won’t be any form of working activity. If any union is going short of the national order, the leadership will be held responsible.

“People should endeavour to get enough foodstuffs at home this weekend. Also, those who need to get drugs should do so quickly.

“It is abnormal for President Tinubu to remove subsidy without consulting the stakeholders. The majority of Nigerians are suffering, begging, and still, the Federal Government has gained more money from the removal of fuel subsidy but failed to do the needful.”

Oyo State

The Oyo State chapter of the NLC and TUC also insisted on a total shutdown of business and other related activities in the state.

The chairman of the NLC in the state, Kayode Martins, and his TUC counterpart, in separate telephone interviews, submitted that if there was no contrary directive prior to the commencement of the industrial action, it is going to be total shutdown.

Martins said necessary steps have been taken to ensure effective takeoff of the strike in the state.

He said: “We are mobilising our members across the 33 local government areas of the state for the action.

“There is going to be strict and total compliance with the national secretariat of our union’s directive.”

Speaking in the same vein, the TUC chairman disclosed that a sensitisation programme was ongoing on in all the local government areas of the state on the need for members of the union to participate actively in the strike.

It was gathered that the state police command has mapped out strategies to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

A top police officer who craved anonymity disclosed that there would be deployment of officers across the state to monitor the process.

Lagos State

The Lagos State chairperson of the NLC, Funmi Sessi, said on Friday that workers in the state were prepared for the national strike.

Speaking with Saturday Tribune, she said that both the NLC and TUC in the state would hold a joint press conference on Monday.

“We are holding another meeting on Monday by 10am at Nurses House and by 12 noon. We will be holding a joint meeting with the TUC and other civil society groups,” she said.

According to her, secretaries of NLC and TUC in the state have also notified the state government that “workers are going to obey our national bodies and are going to shut down the economy.”

She said: “All the national affiliate unions have issued letters to all the state affiliates of the NLC that they should mobilise all their members and be prepared.

“Things are hard and difficult. It is only workers that are not benefiting. The legislative arm already had N70 billion in the kitty; the judiciary already had N35 billion; and, in the executive arm, each of the governors has been given some allocation to do palliatives.

“People in the informal sector, immediately the removal of subsidy, they also increased prices of goods and services. It is only the salaried workers that have nothing to show for the removal of subsidy. We can’t continue this way.”

Ogun State

The Ogun State chairman of the NLC, Ademola Hammed Benco, said going ahead with the strike called by the national leadership of the body was sacrosanct.

He said a meeting with members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the congress on the planned strike resolved that Ogun NLC would comply with the directive.

He explained that all the 52 affiliates of the council had been adequately informed.

The NLC chairman said: “We held a zoom meeting with the SEC members and, unanimously, we have resolved to comply with the directive of the national body by commencing the strike on Tuesday, 3rd October. Nothing is stopping us from going on strike.

“All the 52 affiliates in Ogun State have been well informed. I have just sent another reminder telling all affiliates to comply maximally.”

Cross River State

The Cross River State chapter of the NLC said it would join the industrial action.

The chairman, Gregory Ulayi, in a telephone interview with Saturday Tribune on Friday, said: “It is a national strike and we have no other option than to join in the strike. There is currently no agreement with the Federal Government to cancel the indefinite strike scheduled for October 3.

“As a reminder, labour has unanimously committed to a nationwide economic shutdown next Tuesday due to the Federal Government’s continued refusal to engage, in good faith, in meaningful and productive dialogue.”

Kebbi State

In Kebbi State, the NLC said it was prepared to join forces with the national body of the union to shut down the state on Tuesday.

The chapter’s chairman, Yusuf Umar, told Saturday Tribune that what the citizens were passing through had become so terrible that no sane labour movement would fold its arms and watch citizens wallow in misery.

Osun State

The leadership of the (NLC in Osun State on Friday affirmed that the union had concluded arrangements to mobilise its members in preparation for the proposed strike.

The caretaker committee chairperson of the union in the state, Modupe Oyedele, in an interview, said there was no going back on the action.

Oyedele stressed that all the affiliated unions of the NLC in the state were poised to make the strike effective.

Kano State

The Kano State chapter chairman of the union, Alhaji Kabir Inuwa, also said arrangements had been concluded to shut down all economic activities on Tuesday.

He said the strike was expected to commence on Tuesday until the day the Federal Government addressed the demands of the NLC.

“We have informed the state security for their support and we call on our members to be vigilant and ensure that miscreants are not allowed to hijack whatever the union would be doing in the course of the strike,” Inuwa said.

Bauchi State

The Bauchi State council of NLC also declared its readiness to join the strike.

The chairman of the union in the state, Dauda Shuaibu, said on Friday that all stakeholders had been mobilised and were ready to participate effectively as directed.

Also, the TUC chairman in the state, Ningi, said his members and affiliates had been well mobilised to participate in the industrial action.

Ondo State

The Ondo State chairman of the NLC, Mr Victor Amoko, declared that there was no going back on the planned indefinite strike.

Amoko stated that workers in the state were committed to the action unless there was a counter-directive.

Amoko told Saturday Tribune that all workers in the state had been directed to stay away from office as from October 3, 2023.

He said: “If there is any contrary directive from the national office of the union, it will be communicated to them.

“We have met at the state level and we have pitched our tent with the national body of the NLC and as we speak, there is no contrary directive, so the strike will go on as scheduled.

“We held our meeting and instructed all our affiliate unions to stay off their duties and office as from Tuesday. The labor unions cannot fold our arms and keep quiet on all the sufferings of Nigerians following the removal of the petrol subsidy.”

Delta State

In Delta State, labour leaders are in top gear mobilising workers ahead of the commencement of the industrial action.

It was gathered on Friday afternoon that affiliate associations and unions were being contacted ahead of the indefinite strike.

Kogi State

THE Kogi State chairman of the NLC, Mr Gabriel Amari, on Friday said the labour movement in the state was prepared to comply with the national directive for the indefinite strike.

Amari told newsmen in Lokoja on Friday that a meeting of the State Administrative Council (SAC) and the State Executive Council (SEC) of the union, which was held on Thursday, was meant to examine the issues and enforce the directive in the state.

He appealed to every worker to be involved in the struggle.

Plateau State

The NLC and the TUC in Plateau State said there was no going back on the strike as all affiliate unions have been sensitised and mobilised for the industrial action.

The state chairman of the NLC, Eugene Manji, told Saturday Tribune that the strike would proceed as directed by the national body, saying the reasons adduced for the action were cogent and hinged on the survival of average Nigerians and not just the workers.

We are ready for troublemakers —Lagos police

Meanwhile, the police in Lagos State have warned that anybody who might want to hide under the planned nationwide strike by the labour unions to forment trouble in the state to be prepared to face the law.

The state police command also assured residents of the state of their safety if the labour unions go ahead with the strike.

The image maker of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, told Saturday Tribune that the police were “prepared to forestall any breakout of lawlessness.”

He said: “You can see how we dispersed those who converged on the Lekki Toll Gate to forment trouble under the guise of holding candlelight procession for the late Mohbad. “Any person who wants to foment trouble will be identified, isolated, arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. We will not allow any breakdown of law and order in Lagos State. The residents are assured of their safety. They should not entertain any fear or worry.”