Most banks, motor parks and government institutions in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital were on Tuesday shut down as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) enforced its two-day warning strike over hardship associated with fuel subsidy removal.
Speaking to journalists after the enforcement, the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, said they went round to monitor the situation and commended workers for absolute compliance against the strike order.
He said they were able to move round motor parks and ensured that vehicles were not moving in and out. They also visited hospitals in the state, but urged the health workers there to offer services on skeletal basis.
“We went round to monitor the situation and there was absolute compliance. All the banks are closed. All the motor parks there are not carrying passengers. By tomorrow being the second day of the strike, we will enter the University of Maiduguri, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH ) to monitor the compliance.
“We are urging the workers and the general public to know that this struggle is for the benefit of everyone. We are trying to see if our people will sustain the ongoing strike to arrive at a total lockdown should government fail to meet our demands after a 14 days ultimatum following the warning strike.
“The issue is that we had so many series of meetings at the national level with the presidency and the Senate President, but since after four weeks of the meeting, the presidency has not communicated us as promised. We are going to enter total strike if nothing is done,” Comrade Inuwa said.