Labour Strike Ground Activities In Govt House Asaba

Activities at the Government House Asaba, Delta state were grounded as members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Delta state chapter protest hike in fuel price.

It was leant that the state chapter of NLC had mobilized its members to protest the recent removal of fuel subsidy which gave rise to the increase in pump price of petrol to N145.

First Vice Chairman of the state chapter of NLC, who led the protesting workers to Government House, Comrade Jonathan Jemiregbe said that the only panacea to the indefinite strike was for the Federal Government to reverse its unilateral decision.

“We are here to execute the labour ordered industrial strike. The Governor (Ifeanyi Okowa) should by this peaceful demonstration know that the strike has been brought to bear in Delta state.

“Government offices are now under key and lock. The strike is not directed against the state but against the Federal Government.

On the restrain order secured by the Federal Government, Jemiregbe said, “Yes, we disobeyed the court order because the order was obnoxiously obtained.

“President Muhammadu Buhari himself has acknowledged that the judiciary is his headache. The law says the two parties must argue the matter before such order can be granted. That did not happen in this regard.

“This is a government that is not sensitive to the plights of Nigerians. It unilaterally increased electricity tariff, as if that was not enough, it went ahead to increase the pump price of petrol, we say no to this”, Jemiregbe said.

The protesters were addressed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s Chief of Staff, Hon Tam Brisibe who apologized that his boss was in a crucial security meeting and commended them for conducting their affairs with honour, assuring them that their grouse would be addressed.

The unions which participated in the protest march included; Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), as well as Academic Staff Union of Polytecnics (ASUP).

The protesters trooped out as early as 7am at the popular Traffic-Light Junction in Asaba, where they marched through the streets of Asaba to Government House.

Chanting solidarity songs, the unionist vowed not to return to work unless the Federal Government revert to the old pump price and discontinue with the high electricity tariff.

Some of the inscription bore by the workers are; “Nigeria Jaga-Jaga, Everything Scatter, Scatter”, “Electricity Na Wayo-Wayo”, “Food No Dey, Water No Dey, Light No Dey”, “Labour Say No to High Electricity Tariff”, “We Need Employment, Not Fuel Hike”, “Labour Say No to Fuel Hike”, “Buhari Heal Us, Don’t Kill Us” and “Election Na Wayo-Wayo”.