The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed civil servants in government employ to down tools and withdraw their services effective Thursday, September 26, 2024, following what it described as unbearable hardship borne by workers in the wake of exorbitant fuel price hike, which peaked at N2,500 per litre.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), in solidarity with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTDs), on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, enforced the sealing of most independent petrol stations from selling the products, forcing the price hike and the concurrent transport fares to increase by over 200 percent.
The state IPMAN chairman, Comrade Francis Udoyen, explained that the association had to join the strike in solidarity following the seizure of fuel loaded tankers by military operatives of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), at the oil community of Ibaka, in Mbo local government area, over alleged smuggling of the product.
The governor had during the 37th state creation anniversary speech on Monday, September 23, 2024, vowed intervention, saying; “let me warn those who are selling gasoline above the approved price that the government will not tolerate such unpatriotic actions. We will soon set up a task force to ensure that those engaging in this practice are brought to book.”
But the state NLC chairman, Comrade Sunny James, expressed anger that 48 hours after the governor’s pronouncement, no commensurate action had yet been taken as the masses groaned, forcing him to convene an emergency State Administrative Council (SAC) meeting, where the strike action was reached as the last resort.
