Following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government to provide palliatives to cushion the pains associated with the recent removal of fuel subsidies, state chapters and affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress are already preparing to declare a nationwide strike.

Earlier, organized labor went on a two-day warning strike to promote its demands.

Following the warning strike, the NLC gave the government a 21-day deadline to meet its demands.

As the ultimatum expires on Friday, the NLC has called an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council for Tuesday at noon.

The virtual meeting is anticipated to select the council's next course of action.

The congress' General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, addressed the Presidents, General Secretaries, and Treasurers of its affiliates in a notification of the meeting dated September 22, 2023, seen by Sunday PUNCH, that "your attendance (at the meeting) will be of the utmost importance."

However, state chapters of the NLC told Sunday Talk Talk Nigeria on Saturday that if the NEC ordered a strike on Tuesday, they were ready to mobilize full participation.

This comes as Sunday TalkTalk Nigeria learned on Saturday evening that the Federal Government may meet with labor groups again this week as part of its last-minute efforts to avoid a strike.

"Yes, the government delegation will meet with them on Monday, possibly." The goal is to guarantee that the strike is avoided. "The country cannot afford an economic shutdown at this time," a government source stated.

Another government source informed Sunday TalkTalk Nigeria that the FG will continue to appeal to labor leaders for patience.

"The government has just increased junior lecturers' salaries by 23.5 percent." "There is a need for understanding," said the source.

When contacted, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said, “I am not yet back, I am airborne now to London. No update yet.”

Ekiti

The Ekiti State Chairman of the NLC, Kolapo Olatunde, told one of our correspondents that workers in the state would participate fully if the NEC resolved to declare a strike.

Olatunde said “NLC NEC’s decision supersedes any other decision. If the decision up there in NEC is that we should go on strike, we have no option.

“We will also come down and decide the State Executive Council level, but the decision of the NEC supersedes any other decision.

“If the NEC says we are going on strike, everybody will go on strike, that is the implication.”

Gombe

The scenario is similar in Gombe State, where the state secretary of the NLC, Ibrahim Fika, stated that the chapter would completely comply with any industrial action ordered by the NEC.

"We will comply 100 percent by God's grace," Fika stated. That is beyond a doubt.

"We will know when to proceed after the Tuesday meeting, and whether the people will be given time to prepare, but Gombe NLC is fully prepared 100 percent."

Sokoto

In Sokoto State, the state chapter has stated that it will join the strike whenever the national headquarters chooses.

Abdullahi Jungle, the state chairman, confirmed this to one of our correspondents.

"We are awaiting the decision of the national headquarters," he stated. We will join the strike if a decision is made."

Plateau

Members of the NLC in Plateau State have also pledged to comply if the union decides to strike.

The state chairman, Eugene Manji, said, “We are a democratic union. Our NEC meeting scheduled for Tuesday is going to be via Zoom. So, if the majority decides that the union is going on strike, workers in Plateau State cannot disobey the decision of NEC but will comply.”

Benue

The matter is not different in Benue State where the chairman, Terungwa Igbe, said the chapter would comply with any directive from the national secretariat.

“If it’s a national directive to go on strike, we will surely join,” he said.

Kano

Kano State is not different as the state chapter expressed its readiness to comply with any directive from the national headquarters.

The state chairman, Kabiru Inuwa, said, “The NEC may decide to go on strike and may decide not to go. But whatever decision is taken, the Kano State chapter will abide by it.

“So, we have to wait and see what will be the outcome of the meeting.”

Niger

The Niger State chapter also said it was ready to comply with any directive from the national leadership of the NLC.

The state chairman, Idrees Lafena, said, “We don’t have an option than to comply with the directive of our parent body. The Federal Government has been given enough time to rethink and retrace its steps but it is adamant. It is not finding a lasting solution and does not want to do the needful.

“The two-day warning strike which was hugely successful in Niger State and Nigeria at large was an opportunity for the Bola Tinubu administration to do serious thinking and retrace his steps. Nigerian workers can no longer bear the hardship when there is no termination point for the hardship. We don’t have an option.

“We will ensure that the Federal Government is compelled to do the right thing. Niger State will be shut down by the strike once we get the directive from our national leaders.”

Zamfara

The Zamfara State chapter of the NLC also said it was ready to embark on a strike action if the national body of the union gave a directive to that effect.

The state chairman, Sani Halliru, said, “We in Zamfara State are only waiting for the directive and I am assuring you that, as soon as we receive it, we will join the strike.

“We will shut down the state as soon as we are given the go-ahead to embark on strike action.

“I was part of the meeting and I came back on Friday. So, I see no reason why I should not join the strike if I receive a directive from the national body of our great union.”

Yobe

Workers in Yobe State have also expressed readiness to embark on strike if the national headquarters of the NLC calls for the action after its Tuesday meeting.

“We are ever ready to participate in the strike if the national body of NLC directs all states to do so.

“We will join the strike because all the issues at stake concern every worker in Nigeria, including you, journalists. We will comply with whatever decision is taken at the Tuesday meeting,” the state chairman of NLC, Mukhtar Tarbutu, told Sunday TalkTalk Nigeria.

Rivers

The Rivers State chairman, Alex Agwanwor, said the state chapter would comply fully with the national directive in the event of a declaration of strike.

When our correspondent asked Agwanwor if the state chapter would comply fully if a strike was declared, he simply replied, “Yes.”

Bayelsa

The Bayelsa State chapter said it would mobilise its members to participate in any strike action declared by the national leadership of the body.

The state chairman, Simon Barnabas, said, “NLC anywhere is NLC, so we will not do anything different. That’s how other state councils will be part of the event.

“The strike is not targeted at the state government but the Federal Government. What we are doing is to attract the attention of President Bola Tinubu and the need for something to be done to get us out of this untold hardship meted out to us as a result of fuel subsidy removal.

“The only thing we see that he can do now is he can revamp our refineries to functional status so that the Naira will have value. Otherwise the one-one naira they think they want to give to people will not go anywhere.”

Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom State chairman of the NLC, Sunny James, said there was no way the chapter would shun the strike.

“There’s going to be an official meeting to determine that but if there is going to be a strike, there is no way we will not join. Are we not the state council of NLC?” he asked.

Adamawa

The Adamawa State chairman of NLC, Emmanuel Fashe, said, “If we are not comfortable with the system, we should give support to labour leaders so that whatever that is being decided, we as Nigerians will comply and give them all the necessary support.

“You can see people suffering but when you call them out to join forces, to demonstrate and cry out to the government, they will shy away from it. This unfortunately is the Nigerian reality for you as we speak today.

“Things are hard but even for people within the community to organise themselves to come out and cry against the repressive economic policies of government is very hard. Labour leaders don’t have separate markets, we all go to the same market and it is the support of the public that we require to be successful in our agitations for a responsive system.”

Kaduna

The Kaduna NLC chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, said, “We are not outside the NLC. We shall be part of the NEC and every decision taken is binding on all state councils.”

Abia

The NLC in Abia State said its members would join the strike.

The state chairman, Pascal Nweke, said, “We are under them. If they decide to go on strike after Tuesday’s NEC meeting, the Abia State chapter will join them.”

Kebbi

he Kebbi State chairman, Murtala Usman, said, “I am sure that no state chapter of NLC will refuse to join the strike if the decision is reached by the national headquarters of the union.

“We are the ones that called for the meeting and by the time NEC briefs us on the outcome, the decision will be taken and we shall abide by it.”

Taraba

The Taraba State Chairman, Peter Jediel, said, “Yes, we are ready to join the strike but we are waiting for an official communication.

“I just returned from a meeting of the union where the issue of the strike was discussed and we are willing to comply with the directive if the national union sends us a notice of strike.

“We are expecting that notice between tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday and we will fully comply.”

Oyo

However, the Oyo State chapter said it would not pre-empt the outcome of the Tuesday meeting.

The state Chairman, Kayode Martins, said, “We have not heard from the national secretariat of the NLC so we can’t pre-empt them. Let’s see the outcome of the NEC meeting, then we will call our state meeting as well.”

Ondo

The Ondo State secretary of the NLC, Akin Sunday, said, “ I cannot say anything much about the strike because my chairman is preparing to go to Abuja for the NEC meeting. The decision of the NEC at the meeting would determine what would happen next.”

Katsina

The Katsina State Chairman of the NLC, Hussaini Hamisu, said, “We should not jump the gun. The NEC of the union is meeting on Tuesday. We would rather wait for its decision on the strike. Let us await the decision of the NEC. “

Lagos

In a telephone contact with our correspondent, the Chairman of the NLC in Lagos State, FunmI Sessi, also stated that the conclusion of the meeting slated for Tuesday will determine if the congress in the state will join the strike.

"They have called us in for a meeting on Tuesday, so we will know our position on that day." Let us postpone everything until Tuesday. "We'll know the result then," she replied.

Edo

Odion Olaye, the chairman of the NLC in Edo State, said he had yet to get an instruction on the topic.

"I have yet to receive any directive regarding the strike," he stated.

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Delta

Goodluck Ofobruku, Delta State chairman of the NLC, also stated that the council would follow the NEC's decision.