NLC’s Indefinite Strike Paralyses Anambra

By Chuks Eke

Civil Servants in Anambra State have joined their counterparts nationwide in compliance with the indefinite strike as directed by the Central Working Committee, CWC  of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC paralyzing economic activities.

Except for banks and other private business establishments, judiciary, and local government workers joined in the exercise, which prompted the closure of all the court premises and local government secretariats in Onitsha and its environs. In the case judiciary, the court premises were under lock and key, while at the local governments, senior staff came to the office in at morning time.

Also, a visit to the Anambra State Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex in Awka showed a few workers who had reported for work standing by the gate on Tuesday morning as the gate was partially closed. The only persons inside the premises were security personnel.

Our correspondent observed that as other workers began to arrive for work thereby increasing in number, members of the NLC arrived in the vicinity of the secretariat complex and forced them back home, leaving only the security personnel.

Also, activities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, were disrupted as students were seen loitering on the campus.

However, full economic and commercial activities were recorded in the commercial city of Onitsha, as banks opened for customers while primary and secondary schools were also in session.

It was also observed that other economic activities, business premises, markets, and schools remained open in Onitsha.

The Anambra State Chairman of the NLC, Humphrey Nwafor, who spoke to journalists on the development, said the body had gone around the government offices in the state capital to ensure compliance and they will replicate the same tomorrow in Onitsha.

Nwafor said, “There is strict compliance in Awka as we have gone around public offices to ensure compliance. It is just the banking sector and by tomorrow we are going to go around to ensure compliance, today we have gone around government offices to ensure compliance.

“So, I believe by tomorrow, the compliance will be higher, maybe the banks and so on, we will just visit them to see why they are not complying with the directive because they have their union.

“As for health institutions, we are expecting all patients to be discharged latest tonight and the hospitals will fully comply by Wednesday.”