BY TAYE OBATERU, CHIDI NKWOPARA, TONY EDIKE, VINCENT UJUMADU, GBENGA ARIYIBI, OLA AJAYI & PETER DURU
MAKURDI—The crisis arising from implementation of the new national minimum wage in the states is set to spread to Benue State tomorrow where government workers have been told to commence an indefinite strike.

Meanwhile, the effect of the indefinite strike embarked by workers of the Enugu State Government is biting harder following the stoppage of the distribution of petroleum products to the state.

While the Enugu State government has taken its case to arbitration, the Ekiti State Government yesterday appealled to the striking workers to call off the action that has paralysed government duties and activities in public schools the state.

There was, however, little respite for Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State despite the decision of the judicial workers not to participate in the ongoing strike by its workers. In frustration with the unbending stance of the workers Obi, yesterday, vowed punitive action against workers who continue to stay away from duty.

In Imo State, the strike stopped the resumption from holidays of public schools as a result of the strong participation of teachers.

There was, however, much respite in Kano where workers yesterday returned to their duty posts after staying away for days in obedience to the stay-away call by organized labour in the state.

Prospects of the resolution of the crisis were also inching forward in Plateau State following ongoing dialogue between organized labour and the State Government. Other states where negotiations were proceeding apace include Bauchi and Oyo.

The legal tussle between the Enugu State Government and organized labour over the action which began last Wednesday, according to organised labour has foreclosed further negotiations with the government as the matter would now be resolved through the court.

However, the labour crisis has continued to impose serious hardship on the people of the state. While activities in government institutions have remained paralyzed since September 8, banks and other financial institutions have continued to render skeletal services.

Pump price of petrol which stabilized since January this year with major and independent marketers selling at N65 per litre, rose to N70 per litre last weekend following the shortage of fuel supply to the state.

Vanguard learnt that officials of PENGASSAN and IPMAN in Lagos last week stopped marketers in the South- East, where workers are on strike over the minimum wage, from loading fuel in compliance with the directive of the national leadership of the organized labour.

Long queues returned to some filling stations in Enugu at the weekend on account of the low fuel supply to Enugu State and the marketers warned that the situation might worsen this week if the strike was not called off.

In Benue notice of a strike action has also been given to commence from tomorrow. As at press time yesterday there was no notice of a change of mind with both organized labour and government sticking to their positions.

A joint statement issued by the NLC and TUC regretted that government was not shifting grounds on the demands of labour after they rejected the their last August salaries.

In Imo State where the state is biting harder public schools that were scheduled to resume from seasonal holidays yesterday failed to open following the participation of government teachers in the strike action. The situation was being compounded by the decision of bank workers in the state to heed the strike action called by the state branch of the NLC and TUC.

Petroleum workers were, however, yet to join the strike action in the state.

In Anambra State Governor Obi during a meeting with stakeholders in the state vowed to enforce a no-work no pay rule for workers who continue to boycott from their duty posts.

At a meeting with the state’s stakeholders that drew the participation of the former Governor of the state, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife and traditional rulers in the state, Governor Obi also said that the government would soon commence a biometric audit of all the workers in the employment of the state.

He also said that the government had equally resolved that all workers employed from 2003 would be relieved of their employment, including the 3000 workers recently employed made up of 1200 teachers and 1000 employed by State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB. He also announced immediate embargo on the planned employment of 1000 civil servants, while there should be immediate review of the employment of all non-indigenes in the civil service of the state.

He also debunked the allegation that the State Government was receiving a monthly inflow of N7 billion from the federation account as he affirmed that the correct figure was N3 billion. He said the N7 billion received in July was a result of the distribution of funds from the excess crude account.

The Ekiti State Government is, however, pleading with workers in the state for understanding. While the NLC is pledging to pursue the strike to its conclusion, the State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi in a statewide broadcast to the people of the state appealed to workers to embrace dialogue, saying the state government would only pay the new salary based on the fact on ground and ability to pay.

Meanwhile, fate of about 25,000 pupils who are seeking placements into junior secondary schools hang on the balance, as the strike action had aborted the interview session planned for the pupils last Friday.