Angered by the failure of the federal government to effect a new national minimum wage, the Edo state councils of the, NLC and theTUC had directed their members in the private and public sectors to commence a warning strike with effect from yesterday.
Most public schools in the state capital of Benin were under lock and key as teachers heeded the call by the unions and stayed away. Private schools however defy the strike action as their gates were flung open.
From the popular Emokpae Primary School on Mission Road to Asoro Primary School along Sokponba Road and Olua Primary School by Uselu Shell, all in Benin, almost all the government owned schools were deserted as teachers refused to show up.
Some of the pupils turned up to school were see loitering about in the streets as they could not gain entrance to the premises.
The situatuon was the same at the State Secretariat and Civil Service Commission office on Sapele Road as they were devoid of their usual hustle and bustle as the workers stay away from work.
Most commercial banks on the main streets of Akpakpava and Mission Roads maintained skeletal services but there was however long lines of peoplcat the Automated Teller Machines as anxious customers waited to make a withdrawal.
A customer at one of the commercial banks on Akpakpava who simply gave her name as Efosa said that only a few persons with connections were allowewd in and had to make do with the ATM after persistent pleadings with the security men be allowed in fell on deaf ears.
She lamented: “I am a trader at Agbado Market. I needed to withdraw a huge amount of money for my business and came early to the bank but to my amazement, the gate was locked. They only allowed a few persons with connection to. Left with no alternative, I decided to use the ATM. “