The Federal Secretariat Enugu, Nigeria Television Authority, and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN,in Enugu State, were yesterday, shut to official activities following the indefinite strike action embarked upon last Wednesday,by the Ayubba Wabba-led faction of Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, to press home their demand for a reversal on the increase in pump price of petrol from N86.50 to N145.
A worker carries a placard changing the ruling “All Progressives Congress (APC)” to “All Promises Cancelled” as he marches during a protest demanding that the government reinstate prices of fuel at 86.50 naira ($0.43, 0.38 euros) per litre in Lagos, on May 18, 2016.
Nigeria’s government on May 18 warned against “illegal strike action” after some union members vowed to press ahead with a national strike over petrol price rises despite a court injunction.
This was even as Union Leaders barricaded the entrance of most federal establishments in the state in solidarity with the strike action called by the faction. At the Federal Secretariat,offices were shut to businesses which took most civil servants unawares.
At NTA,staff gathered under the Mango tree discussing in hush tones as Union officials moved round to enforce the strike action. Also,the usual traffic that dotted major roads within the metropolis,thinned out, as most motorists,who are civil servants were at home as a result of the strike action.
Meanwhile,there was unusual presence of security operatives at strategic places in the metropolis to forestall a breakdown of law and order by miscreants who may take advantage of the prevailing strike to wreak havoc. Similarly,customers thronged the banking halls in a desperate bid to withdraw monies to enable them stockpile food items as directed by the leadership of NLC for a protracted showdown with federal government.
Reacting to the development,Member,Board of Governors,Civil Liberty organization,CLO,Danjuma Gambo,regretted that federal government was introducing an increment on pump price of petrol side-by-side with a hike in electricity tariff.
“I cannot understand the rational behind the increment. Nigerians are suffering already and you come up with a hike in petrol price and electricity tariff simultaneously. What are the measures put in place by government to cushion the effect of these financial burden. I do not see government moving in the right direction.
“A lot of forces beyond government determine the price of Crude Oil in the global market. From the look of things,we are yet to hear the last on the increase in pump price of petrol. The deregulation government professes is unacceptable,”the CLO Board member regretted.
Source ... Vanguard
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