Anxiety Over Strike In Kogi State

The people of Kogi are now gripped with fear following the decision of health workers to join the ongoing strike to press for labour’s demands.

The state Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Segun Abdul, gave the indication in Lokoja in an interview with newsmen.

He said medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other staff in all government hospitals and health centres in the state were expected to join the strike last week.

He confirmed that workers in all the 21 Local Government Areas joined the strike last Wednesday and insisted that workers would not call off the strike until all their demands are met.

Reports say that Kogi, an essentially civil service state, has been crippled socially and economically by the strike, which started on October 9.

The strike was set off by government’s refusal to implement some agreements it signed with the workers.

The organized labour, consisting of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, had in April organised special prayer sessions in Churches and Mosques to seek God’s intervention in its industrial dispute with the state government.

The workers had specifically asked God to touch the mind of Governor Ibrahim Idris so that he could implement all the agreements his administration signed with the workers.