Gombe in partial strike, over 30 states snub NLC

[caption id="attachment_48311" align="alignnone" width="640"] Comrade Ayuba Wabba[/caption] Many states across Nigeria snubbed the Nigeria Labour Congress on the first day of its call on Nigerian workers to embark on a strike action to protest the increase in the pump price of petrol. Apart from Ebonyi state, where a total shut down of the state was carried out by union leaders, and Gombe where partial compliance was recorded, in many states it was business as usual. NAN correspondents who monitored the situation in north east states reported that key institutions such as banks, schools, state and federal secretariats, hospitals, markets and all major commercial, centres were open for normal activities. In Bauchi where some youths demonstrated Tuesday in support of the deregulation of the downstream oil sector, labour officials did not attempt to enforce the strike. A civil servant working with the state government, Sanusi Ibrahim, said most workers were not in support of the strike. “When we were not paid our salary for over eight months, what did the NLC do? “Before the removal of subsidy, we were buying fuel at the cost of N300 per litre; in some states, even N500. “Now the fuel is available at maximum of N145. The NLC should leave us alone,” he said. Contacted on telephone Wednesday for his comment, Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Hashimu Gitel, said he was on his way to Abuja. He however said that his colleagues would brief the press later in the day. Normal activities are also going on in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, with banks, schools, hospitals, state and federal secretariats open for business. An official of the NLC in the state who did not want his name mentioned, told NAN that they would meet later in the day to decide on their next line of action. NAN correspondents in Yola also reported that normal activities are going on in Yola and other major towns of Adamawa as schools, banks, markets, as well as the State and Federal secretariats remained open. Many people who spoke on the failure of the strike said they were not convinced that the action was the best alternative in the present circumstance. Mallam Adamu Danwanzam, the chairman of Yola Perishable Food Items Sellers Association, said his members were not in support of the strike action. Also speaking, the state chairman of Private School Proprietors in Adamawa, Hajiya Dijatu Balla, said her members had no business with the strike action. Malam Husaini Isa, chairman of Commercial Tricycle Association in Adamawa , also distanced his members from the strike, pointing out that for many months ,his members had been buying fuel for N200 per litre, as such the new prize of N145 per litre was a relief. When contacted on the development, the state NLC chairman, Comrade Dauda Maina, said he could not comment as he was still in Abuja. "I am still in Abuja where I missed my flight back due to lack of aviation fuel, but I have given mandate to my vice and other union officials to ensure compliance with the strike", Maina said. The situation was the same in Dutse, Jigawa state as people went about their normal businesses. At the State and Federal secretariats, civil servants were seen attending to their official duties. A bank staff who pleaded for anonymity told NAN that they observed the situation for some time and decided to open at about 9:00am as against official time of 8:00am. Officers and men of Nigeria Police force were seen in strategic places to ensure safety of lives and property. There was however a partial compliance in Gombe as the NLC Monitoring Committee went round to ensure compliance. Most places of work, schools, banks and the state radio and television stations were closed. Malam Haruna Kamara, chairman of NLC in the state, told NAN that a committee was inaugurated and vested with the responsibility of ensuring compliance with the NLC directive. Workers in north west states also defied the 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 reported to their duty posts in defiance of the order. Reports from the six 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 government rather than embark on strike.'' Reports from Kebbi indicated that civil servants had also defied the NLC's call for total strike action. Government offices, markets, banks and business centres opened for normal business, while civil servants have reported to their places of work as early as 8:00am. 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. A NAN correspondent who monitored the situation reported that state and federal government workers had all reported to their various places of work. At 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 about 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 to NAN 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 reported that primary and secondary schools as well as other higher institutions in the state opened. However, in Bayero University Kano, some lecturers had joined the strike while others were working. In Katsina, the 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.