Labour shelves street protest in Maiduguri

The Nigeria Labour Congress said on Monday in Maiduguri that it had shelved street protest in the ongoing fuel subsidy strike following an appeal by security agencies in the state.

The Borno NLC Chairman, Titus Abana, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the strike would not involve any kind of street protest, saying, however that all other aspects of the strike would continue as scheduled.

“We have agreed to shelve the idea of street protest, mass rallies and the likes following appeals from security agencies. The appeal might not be unconnected with the current state of emergency in some areas of the state. We have constituted monitoring teams going round to ensure full compliance by workers, market men and women and others. I am happy to say that the strike has so far been successful.” Mr. Abana commended workers in both federal and state governments for staying at home and urged them to remain so until the strike was over.A NAN correspondent who went round Maiduguri metropolis, reports that both social and economic activities have been halted by the strike.The gates of the Federal Government Secretariat as well as the State Secretariat in Maiduguri were under lock and key.   All markets were closed while taxis and commercial buses kept off the roads even as security personnel patrolled the streets.