Stock Food At Home, Strike Will Be Total, Labour Leaders Tell Nigerians

Organised labour insisted has that it would shut down Nigeria on Tuesday because of government’s refusal to do something positive about the pains inflicted on Nigerians by fuel subsidy removal.

Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) across the states of the federation told newsmen on Friday that the directive of their national headquarters for an indefinite strike starting from Tuesday would be firmly carried out.

They advised Nigerians to stock their homes with food and other essential items so as to minimise the effects of the shut down.

The NLC chairman in Ekiti State, Kolapo Olatunde, told Journalists that the Federal Government has failed in its responsibility of providing practical and effective measures to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal since May 29, 2023.

“President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidy since May 29 without consulting stakeholders so as to devise means to make life easy for the citizenry.

“After the independence holiday on Monday, every worker should stay home. This is not partisan. It has nothing to do with religion. If fuel price should be jacked up, something urgent should be done about that so that salary will be able to buy necessities.

“If nothing is done before Tuesday, it (the strike) is going to be indefinite and total. We are all in it together. There won’t be any form of working activity. If any union is going short of the national order, the leadership will be held responsible.

“People should endeavour to get enough foodstuffs at home this weekend. Also, those who need to get drugs should do so quickly.

“It is abnormal for President Tinubu to remove subsidy without consulting the stakeholders. The majority of Nigerians are suffering, begging, and still, the Federal Government has gained more money from the removal of fuel subsidy but failed to do the needful.” Olatunde noted.

• Yusuf Oketola