NLC warning strike paralyses govt operations in Abuja

Government operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ground to a halt on Tuesday as a significant number of civil servants opted to stay away from their offices in adherence to the two-day warning strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

On September 1, Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, announced a two-day warning strike beginning on Tuesday to protest the adverse effects of removing petrol subsidies on the general populace.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Simon Lalong, the Minister of Labour and Employment, made an appeal to the NLC to suspend the impending warning strike. He emphasized that such a strike could undermine the progress achieved by the new administration.

In a meeting convened on Monday afternoon to avert the strike, the NLC leadership was conspicuously absent, with only Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in attendance.

Reports from TheCable’s correspondent, who conducted checks across the FCT, revealed varying levels of compliance with the strike. While some ministries fully observed the strike, others operated with limited staff.

At the Federal Secretariat complex, where many ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are situated, only a handful of civil servants were present. The entrance gate of the Federal Ministry of Education was partially open, with workers congregating in small groups around the building. A front desk officer, identified as Sarah, explained that those present were mainly from the administration department and that they remained at the office because the minister was on-site.

Several other offices, including those at the Ministries of Science and Technology, Youth and Sports, Information and Culture, Bureau of Public Reforms, and the Ecological Fund Office, remained closed.

Traffic on the usually bustling roads leading to the Federal Secretariat complex in the Three Arms zone saw a noticeable reduction compared to regular working hours.

Likewise, at the Radio House, which houses the Federal Ministry of Information and agencies like the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), no workers were present. The offices were locked, and members of the NLC were stationed at the entrance gate, chanting solidarity songs to enforce compliance.

On Monday, the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) announced that its members would join the industrial action. The branches of some banks in Wuse 2, Garki Area 11, and Wuse Zone 2 in the FCT were either open to customers or closed. For instance, some branches of United Banks for Africa (UBA) remained closed, while Eco Bank offices operated with reduced staffing.

At the Wuse 2 branch of Eco Bank, customers were initially informed that the banking hall was closed, but a limited number of them were later allowed inside.