From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The indefinite strike by the organized labor on Monday paralyzed government and business activities in Kaduna state, as members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) took measures to ensure strict compliance with the strike.
The NLC and the TUC embarked on an indefinite strike after they pulled out of the negotiation and rejected two Federal Government offers, the latest being N60,000 insisting on N497,000 as minimum wage.
Activities at most government ministries, departments, and agencies in the state capital were grounded as workers stayed away from their offices in compliance with the NLC directive.
At the Kaduna State Secretariat along Independence Way, the four gates leading to the premises were under lock and many workers were seen discussing the strike outside the premises.
Similarly, the Kaduna State University (KASU) along Tafawa Balewa Way was also under lock and students and staff were seen outside the gate.
The Same scenario was visible at the Kaduna Polytechnic both the main Campus and the College of Business and Administration Studies (CABS) along Poly Road.
It was the same situation at the Kaduna State High Court, where the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) locked the court premises and barred the staff, litigants, and even lawyers from gaining access to the court premises.
Students at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria remain in their hostel as lectures in compliance with the directive from the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to join the strike.
Banking halls along Yakubu Gowon Way are also under lock and long queues were seen at functioning ATMs.
Power supply in Kaduna Power supply in Kaduna was also disrupted following the Labour Union shutting down the national grid, resulting in a blackout nationwide and withdrawal of services by the staff of Kaduna Electric.
In his reaction to the strike, the President General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum( AYCF) Alhaji Yerima Shettima opined that the
issue of strike even though it is at the wrong time, is welcome because the body language of the government doesn’t seem to be serious.
“We can’t be talking about issues like inflation, bad economics, and others, but you still remember that the members of the National Assembly deserve to have a vehicle of over 150 million Naira each, this is very wrong.
“You cannot say the poor masses should manage when you as leaders are not managing, it’s not done anywhere.
“To an extent, even though there’s hardship in the land, the Labour movement is left with no option than to declare a strike and I support them on this even though it is wrong but we have to do it once and for all.
“If you claim there’s no money, then we must see the body language of the leaders. On their part, they can say, ‘These luxury cars, leave them, we don’t need them for now, let’s see how we can salvage the Country’ but not at the expense of the common man, to die with hunger, poor medical attention and others.
“Then some few individuals in the name of representing people are taking the money, bringing the Country to that level, it is wrong.
“So for me, the Labour movement is on course and I’m sure Nigerians will give them the solidarity, we stand with them on this course.” He said
However, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) Kaduna state Chairman Hon Ahmed Tijani Mustapha said the strike was not an option because it would cause more hardship and suffering and the organized labor should not throw Nigerians into more hardship.
According to him, Nigerians are already grappling with a lot of challenges and we do not need to exacerbate the situation.
He therefore advised organized labour to return to the negotiation table and at the same time push for a productive economy that would bring back the industrialization of the country.
