By JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT — Rivers State civil servants, stayed away from work, yesterday, in compliance with the directive of the state chapter of  Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, to proceed on a two-day warning strike.

The two gates leading to the state secretariat in Port Harcourt, were shut with officials of NLC, asking workers who had resumed for the day to go home.

It will be recalled that the two labour unions in the state had threatened to embark on a two-day warning strike to press home their demand for the Police to allow workers resume at Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area secretariat.

State Chairman of NLC, Mr. Chris Oruge, had told  newsmen  last week that his union and the TUC were disturbed  by the action of the Police, which had  made it impossible for  staff of the council to be paid their April and May salaries.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt,  had ordered the Police to open the place for work to resume and at the same time, provide minimal security to forestall any plan by hoodlums to wreak havoc on the place.

The Police initially complied with the court order but soon sealed off the place again, barely 10 hours after some hoodlums had reportedly set the generator house in the secretariat on fire.

In another development, a Senior Police officer,  yesterday, lost his life in a fatal accident in Port Harcourt.

The state Police Public Relations Officer,  Mrs. Angela Agabe, who confirmed the development, said three other policemen sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital. She said their patrol vehicle was involved in an accident while they were chasing a group of armed robbers.