Workers in Kwara Comply With NLC Directive to Strike

• As offices, schools closed down

By Hammed Shittu

Workers, including teachers in both primary and post primary schools, in Kwara state on Wednesday complied with the directive of the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on strike because of the alleged refusal of the federal government to reduce the pump price of petrol from N145 per litre to N86.50 per litre.

The action is despite the court order that restrained the union from embarking on strike.

A visit by our correspondent to the state secretariat along Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin, and other ministries, workers that arrived early enough for their duties were prevented by the labour leaders in the state from getting into their various duty posts. That made many of them to go back home.

The state NLC and TUC on Tuesday issued a joint press statement ‎in Ilorin that workers should stay at home on Wednesday as they would not be allowed to their duty posts in line with the directive of the national leadership of NLC to go on strike over the refusal of the federal government to acede to the NLC’s demand to reduce the pump price of petrol from N145 to N86.50 per litre.

Also, the gates of some of the schools visited by our correspondent were closed against students while students were seen returning to their different homes.

At Bank Road, along uniyty area of Ilorin, some banks were rendering skeletal services to customers while some closed their offices for fear of being hijacked by some unscropolous elements.

There was however vehicular movement within and outside the state as taxi and Okada operators were operating their business without any hindrance.

Some fuel stations owned by independent marketers were not opened for business over the alleged rumour that the federal government may acede to the ‎demand of labour leaders to reduce petrol pump price of N145 per litre.

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