By Ola Ajayi

Ibadan—TRADERS in various markets in Oyo State have dissociated themselves from the on-going strike embarked upon by a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Speaking through Mrs Juliana Raimi, Chairperson,  Association of Commodity Market Women and Men of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, in Ibadan, weekend, the  traders condemned the industrial action describing it as belated and a mere distraction.

She condemned how the NLC tried to lure the traders to join them, saying: “Majority of us are not interested in the strike, as you can see from their body language. Why did the labour Union wait till now before reacting.

“We traders expected the labour leaders to have protested before now especially when we were buying the petroleum products at exorbitant prizes which had already affected prices of commodities.

“We are not in support of the government of the day for increasing petroleum pump price in this difficult time, but we are urging the labour leaders not to inflict more pains on us by asking us to stay at home again” the Iyaloja noted.

She advised the organized labour union to employ another way to make the government realize the harsh effect of their action on common people and not by stay-at-home order.

In the same vein, Oyo State government said yesterday that it supported deregulation of  oil sector, warning workers that joined the strike to be ready to pay the price of ‘no work, no pay.’

Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli, who conveyed the government’s position in a statement, yesterday, said deregulation of the downstream oil sector was the best option open to the Federal Government in the prevailing circumstance.