NLC, TUC strike grounds commercial activities in Edo

Commercial activities in Benin City, the Edo State Capital, were grounded to a halt on Monday following the industrial action embarked upon by organised labour.

Enforcing the national directives, members of the organised labour movement in Edo shut down the secretariats in all eighteen local government areas and other government offices.

A special team of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the state was seen moving around and shutting down offices, apparently forcing the people to comply with the strike action.

In Benin City, banks were also shut down even as customers, mostly point-of-sale (POS) operators, besieged several deposit banks with the hope of getting cash for their businesses.

The development also caused some of the POS operators to increase their charges per transaction.

The NNPC Mega Filling Station along Sapele Road was already open for business in the early hours when the NLC team arrived and shut down the facility.

The team also shut down the entrance gate to the Oba Akenzua II Benin Airport, which left many travellers stranded, and many were seen trying to enter the airport through the exit gate.

Some public schools, like Imaguero College, which was opened and had students in, were also shut down, and the students and a few teachers around were forced out of the premises.

The team was also in the Edo State House of Assembly Complex and disrupted an ongoing prayer meeting, but the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghan, intervened and explained to the NLC team that it was a monthly prayer session.

They were allowed to conclude the session and then shut down the complex.

The NLC picketing team was led by the state vice chairman, Comrade Williams Uwumarogie, who stood in for the state chairman, Comrade Odion Olaye.

Speaking, the NLC State Youth Chairman, Comrade Osaro Best Idahosa, told newsmen that “so far so good, we have shut down the NNPC mega station, we have shut down the Pension Trustfund, NPDC, the Secretariat Complex, the federal secretariat at Aduwawa, and the High Court Complex.

“We discovered that some students forced themselves into some public schools; we shut them down; the Akenzua II Airport in Benin is shut down; the Museum, TCN, and BEDC offices are in Akpakpava.

“There is no timeframe for this strike; it is indefinite, but we look up to the national leadership to direct us on the next line of action. For now, there is no timeframe for this strike. We will continue again tomorrow,” Idahosa said.

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