The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed civil servants in government employ to down tools and withdraw their services effective Thursday, September 26, 2024, following what it described as unbearable hardship borne by workers in the wake of exorbitant fuel price hike, which peaked at N2,500 per litre.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), in solidarity with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTDs), on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, enforced the sealing of most independent petrol stations from selling the products, forcing the price hike and the concurrent transport fares to increase by over 200 percent.
The state IPMAN chairman, Comrade Francis Udoyen, explained that the association had to join the strike in solidarity following the seizure of fuel loaded tankers by military operatives of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), at the oil community of Ibaka, in Mbo local government area, over alleged smuggling of the product.
The governor had during the 37th state creation anniversary speech on Monday, September 23, 2024, vowed intervention, saying; “let me warn those who are selling gasoline above the approved price that the government will not tolerate such unpatriotic actions. We will soon set up a task force to ensure that those engaging in this practice are brought to book.”
But the state NLC chairman, Comrade Sunny James, expressed anger that 48 hours after the governor’s pronouncement, no commensurate action had yet been taken as the masses groaned, forcing him to convene an emergency State Administrative Council (SAC) meeting, where the strike action was reached as the last resort.
The resolutions transmitted to the governor and the head of civil service (HoCS) entitled; “Withdrawal of Service,” and made available to LEADERSHIP, reads:
“Workers have been directed to stay at home starting Wednesday midnight due to the recent fuel price hike. This action aimed at protesting the increase in fuel price and its impacts on the likelihood of workers and citizens.
“Following the directive of IPMAN, Akwa Ibom State chapter dated September, 23rd, 2024, for their members to withdraw services to Akwa Ibom effective September 24, the State Administrative Council (SAC) of NLC, met at an emergency session to discuss on the impacts arising from this directive to our workers and citizens and do resolved as follows:
“His Excellency, the governor should personally intervene by setting up a team to investigate claims from parties in dispute that necessitated the confiscation of the PMS – loaded trucks and subsequent withdrawal of services.
“The SAC in session frowned at the short notice given the already impoverished workers and citizens to re- adjust themselves on the impacts of the withdrawal of services will cause them.
“The meeting called on the governor to immediately inaugurate the Petroleum Industry Task Force (PITF) to check the excesses going forward as was promised in His Excellency’s 37th state anniversary speech.
“The SAC – in – council further note the negative, but untold hardship our workers and citizens are going through in attending to their work/businesses and hereby directs all workers to withdraw their services and stay at home effective midnight of September 25, 2024, until this impasse is resolved and the strike action of IPMAN called off to enable citizens breath.”
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