By Ayo Yusuf
Workers at the Apapa Seaport Lagos were left stranded Tuesday when they were denied entry into the port’s premises following a two-day warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
Members of staff were joined by a crowd which gathered outside the port area unable to conduct their businesses.
The NLC’s decision to commence a two -day strike comes after the labour union declined to attend a meeting with the Federal Government aimed at discouraging them from conducting a strike which they said was to protest the escalating hardships across the country caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
On Friday, the NLC issued it’s notice for strike to over the widespread suffering of poor Nigerians and threatened a complete and indefinite shutdown of the economy within 14 working days or 21 days after the warning strike unless the government takes viable steps to address the hardships experienced nationwide.
An agitated seaport staff expressed his frustration with the federal government’s negligence in their duty towards suffering Nigerians. He said that the two-day strike won’t be sufficient and suggested a complete shutdown.
Other workers at the Apapa seaport who said they didn’t know about the warning strike blaming the media for doing a shoddy job of reporting the strike.
“The media were not being factual with the information they sent to the public. At first, I heard of the strike, and later, I heard it wouldn’t hold. You know NLC is always not stable with their actions compared to the days of Adams Oshiomole when he was the President of the Union. But now, we no longer believe their statements; that’s why many of us were not aware of the warning strike.”
Our reporter observed that the Apapa seaport gates were all locked, leaving many stranded.
Also in Mile 2, a massive gridlock kept vehicles at a standstill as drivers refused to transport commuters, leading to disruptions in some offices in the Apapa area.
Labour Is Sponsored Meanwhile, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain in Delta State, Alhaji Mumakai Unagha has condemned the two-day warning strike declared by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
He said Nigerians were fed up with the incessant strike and protest organised by the labour organization.
“I appreciate the fact that there is hardship in the country. Of course, that is not enough to truncate the hard earned democracy some of us suffered for.
” The government has extended its olive hands to the NLC, which the Congress earlier embraced.
“The action of the labour union is condemnable because it is not in the interest of the ordinary citizens of the nation. Politicians are sponsoring them to scuttle democracy.
“They should tell Nigerians the special interest that makes them to constantly protest and strike.
“The leadership of the labour union and it’s affiliates are members of a political party, therefore, cannot hold the nation from moving forward, pretending to defend Nigerians.
“The labour union should not be used as instrument of inviting the military in disguise that Nigerian are not prepared for democratic government.
“I advise that they should go to the drawing board for renegotiation and dialogue with the Federal Government.
What the labour union is doing is creating or inflicting more hardship to what the people are already passing through. .
“They are not representing the over 200 million Nigerians.
“Should they continue on the act of sabotaging the government, we shall not hesitate to roll out drums in the streets of Nigeria to call them to order.
“I call on the labour union, and other anti- government agencies wanting to armtwist our democracy to have a rethink, they wii not achieve anything with strike.
“We should all join hands to build the nation. The labour union seems to be an agent of destabilization.”
