Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, was transformed into a deserted expanse on Tuesday afternoon as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state zealously enforced the nationwide strike, adhering to the directive from the union’s national leadership.
Public offices and institutions housing NLC-affiliated staff, including banks and government hospitals, were resolutely sealed off, denying entry to employees and the public alike.
An enforcement team constituted by the NLC, comprising members of the state monitoring group, embarked on a relentless drive, meticulously ensuring that productivity came to a standstill in every office they visited.
Remarkably, the enforcement exercise didn’t commence until just before midday, following a meeting convened by the state union leadership.
“We commenced the enforcement activities late to ensure absolute clarity on the national stance, particularly in light of the court order,” explained Emmanuel Fashe, the NLC state chairman.
The enforcement unit, spearheaded by Usman Babbada, the Vice-Chairman of NLC and concurrently the State Chairman of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, made the rounds to key locations such as the State Secretariat, the Federal Secretariat, and the Yola Specialist Hospital, bringing operations to an abrupt halt.
The national leadership of the NLC had declared the nationwide industrial action on Monday, in the wake of an assault on the union’s President, Joe Ajaero, during a protest in Owerri on November 1, where the Imo State Government was being protested against for alleged maltreatment of workers.
