The two-day warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has crippled economic activities in Ebonyi State as banks, the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki and other Federal establishments within the State capital remained closed as at 10am.
Other Government establishments seen closed when LEADERSHIP visited include; the Ebonyi State Judicial Complex, the State Secretariat, the Ebonyi State Library board, the Government House Cabinet office and Ebonyi State Polytechnic Ikwo.
LEADERSHIP observed that the bank customers, judiciary workers including lawyers who were in court today for their different matters were seen stranded outside the entrance gate of the banks and the judicial complex.
At the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki AE-FETHA, few nurses and consultants were seen carrying out skeletal services as most of the administrative staff joined in the industrial action.
At the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) along the Awolowo Street Abakaliki, it was also observed that few of the staff of the company were also seen carrying out skeletal services especially those at the emergency section of the distribution company.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP, a patient at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Mr. Clifford Chukwu expressed sadness over the attitude of the federal government towards the masses and urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent steps to end the suffering and hunger in the country.
He noted that since the commencement of the warning strike, only consultants and student doctors and nurses now attend to the patients as Residents Doctors on call were not in the hospital.
A bank customer, Mrs. Bridget Onwe said that she arrived at the bank at about 8am only to be informed that the bank won’t open for services following the strike action. “I came here with only my transport and I don’t have an ATM card, my worry now is how to get back home”, she lamented.
Meanwhile, the Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Ebonyi State Chapter led by it’s State Chairman Prof Egwu Oguguo were also seen by LEADERSHIP monitoring the level of compliance of the industrial action.
In an interaction with LEADERSHIP, a member of the NLC State Monitoring Team and the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ebonyi State University (ASUU-EBSU), Dr. Ikechukwu Igwenyi, who expressed joy over the level of compliance maintained that the industrial action is aimed at protesting the high level of hunger and suffering Nigerian citizens are going through since the removal of the subsidy.
“We have moved round and are still moving round to ensure that all the affiliate bodies comply to the directive of the National body. As you can see, the banks are closed, the Federal Teaching Hospital, the Federal University Ndufu-Alike, the judiciary, the Electricity Distribution Company EEDC, the State Secretariat including the Government House Abakaliki.
“Nigerians are suffering, there is hunger in the land, people can no longer afford a meal in a day, yet government is pretending that nothing is happening. We can’t continue to keep quite. Since the protest by the labour union and the promises by the federal government, nothing has been done.
“They said they released money to the State government, I tell you going by our calculation and distribution of the money to individuals, in Ebonyi no citizens will get up to N1,500 if shared by per person. Now how many citizens of the State will share 3,000 bags of rice sent to the State by the Federal Government.
“They should stop deceiving the masses, the Federal Government does not have good intentions for the masses. Of they do, they know the right thing to do. That’s what we as Labour is asking the government to do, do what is right and the people will rejoice”, he stated.
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