By Tunde Akanbi, Ilorin
The ongoing nationwide strike has intensified in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, as government offices, public schools, courtrooms, and the Kwara Revenue House (KWIRS) have now all been completely shut down. What initially began as skeletal services on Tuesday has escalated into a total shutdown in response to the State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketing establishments that have failed to adhere to the national body’s directive on the indefinite nationwide strike.
According to Comrade Saheed Murtala Olayinka, the chairman of the state chapter, the NLC has extended its picketing to include the governor’s office, the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the office of the Head of Service (HOS), as well as those of some Special Advisers and Assistants. Emphasizing the need for total compliance with the national directive, he stressed the union’s determination to ensure enforcement, even if it involves persuading or compelling non-compliant entities, such as banks, to cease operations.
Comrade Olayinka confirmed that, as of the time of speaking to VON in Ilorin, there have been no recorded instances of intimidation, harassment, or threats of arrest directed at NLC members by security operatives since the commencement of the strike on Tuesday.
Notably, public schools, government offices, and law courts in Ilorin, the state capital, remained non-operational, while private educational institutions, commercial banks, and microfinance banks opened for business.
The NLC leader emphasized that the ongoing strike is indefinite, citing the recent attack on Comrade Joe Ajaero, a prominent labour leader who is currently hospitalized, as a symbol of aggression against Nigerian workers. He commended workers and affiliate unions in the state for unwaveringly abiding by the leadership’s directive on the strike action.
