Workers in Bauchi, Borno and Yobe joined the nationwide strike embarked on by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday.

Government offices, schools and banks were closed in compliance with the industrial action.

The unions directed their members to embark on an indefinite strike following disagreement with the federal government over the implementation of the new minimum and a downward review of the electricity tariff.

In Bauchi, workers had stayed from their offices at the federal and state government secretariats, banks, schools and other public offices while NLC officials were going round to enforce compliance with the strike.

Maikudi Ibrahim, acting chairman of the Congress, said the state chapter had fully complied with the strike.

“We are monitoring departments and agencies to ensure total compliance with the strike. No going back; we are on it,” he said

Corroborating Mr Ibrahim, Ibrahim Tafida, the vice chairman of the TUC, described workers’ compliance with the strike as encouraging.

“It is a success; all offices, organisations and agencies remained closed in compliance to the directives from the national secretariat”.

However, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Yobe stare chapter, has dissociated itself from the ongoing strike by the labour unions.

The chairman of the association, Abubakar Mala, said that they directed their members to continue providing medical services to the patients.

“We are not joining the NLC strike. We are not part of their affiliate, and we are not joining the strike.

“We are fully attending to patients as usual. All our clinics are open, and we have been in the theatre and everywhere,” he said.

The measure, he said, would facilitate uninterrupted medical and healthcare services for the people.

Similarly, some residents of Maiduguri in Borno have urged the organised labour to show human face while enforcing the strike.

Ibrahim Musa, a resident, said that it was imperative for the unions not to disrupt the provision of essential services to the people.

He said that “there should be power supply to hospitals and water plants to serve the poor.

“People on Band C who are placed on only four hours of power supply daily should also be allowed to enjoy it.”

Commenting, Bulama Mustapha and Hadiza Ali called for the government and the unions to resume negotiations to facilitate a speedy resolution of the impasse.

“There should be skeletal services in some areas. For instance, students of the University of Maiduguri are writing their examinations, and some candidates are writing WAEC. They should be allowed to continue.

“The strike should bear a human face so that innocent Nigerians will not suffer,” Mr Ali said.

Also, an Islamic cleric, Usman Sadisu, expressed concern over the strike, which might disrupt the transportation of pilgrims for hajj exercises.

“We hope the closure of the airports due to the strike will not affect the transportation of pilgrims in areas where the exercise has not been concluded.

“The labour unions should be considerate of easy movement of intending pilgrims in any airport to be concluded”. 

(NAN)