Government activities were grounded Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State as the workers joined their counterparts Nationwide in the two-day warning strike over the economic hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy on fuel.
Our Correspondent observed that gates of the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat which Houses government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the Secretariat Annex along Udo Udoma avenue were under lock and key.
It was gathered that leaders of organised Labour led by State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Akwa Ibom State had stormed the state Secretariat by 6am to ensure compliance in the state.
This is even as workers in the state complied fully with the Union’s directive by staying away from work on Tuesday.
The labour leaders embarked on a peaceful protest along Abak Road from the State Secretariat by 10am, chanting solidarity songs, and returned back to the Secretariat about 11 am.
Addressing the workers after the Street protest that lasted about one hour, the state Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Sunny James commended them for making the exercise in the state successful.
“Comrades you are here and I salute you. It is important to say that we did not come out here for trouble. We came to ask for our rights and our rights must be given to us.
“Somebody cannot be happy when the children are hungry and angry. Mr President must hear Nigerin workers. Nigerian workers are hungry and angry. And I am very sure Mr President will listen to the workers.
“Comrades on May 29, 2023, His Excellency, the President of Nigeria, withdrew fuel subsidy without putting in place measures to help the people of Nigeria and organized Labour said no, it is not correct.
“Can you put modalities to help the people he blutantly refused. When he agreed to meet the Labour. He formed a Committee to meet with Labour, and the committee went to work and agreed on a number of issues. Prominent among the agreements is that all the Street should be flooded with Mass Transit buses.
Comrades if the bus has not come, it means the President has lied to our people. Therefore we said enough is enough.
We call to account why people in government cannot meet the Petroleum epiquarter given to Akwa Ibom . Over 2million barrels of Crude Oil comes out of soil on a daily basis. comrade Nigerians are struggling right now to have 1.2million.
“We hired a Government inside the Government, Government Tompolo , and the feederal government asked him to go and protect the pipeline and Tompolo discovered a Pipeline where Shell is taking Oil from Nigeria, about 40,000barrels everyday, and Nigerian government did not say anything.
It is not proper for Nigerians to suffer in the midst of plenty. Therefore We are calling government to account and ensure that Nigerians are not treated like slaves. Nigeria is not poor. Therefore give to us what belongs to us. The poor are not breathing, the rich have strangulated the poor.
