Yakubu Busari
Following the pronouncement of strike action by the National body of Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC), that workers should embark on indefinite strike, traders in Jos, the capital of Plateau State have shunned the strike called by NLC.
This development was general a disagreement between Plateau branch of NLC and Jos traders who stoned officials of the NLC on Tuesday when they arrived the Main Market area to seek for cooperation from traders.
Our reporter who went round some major markets outlet and other commercial areas in the capital city, reports that traders have fully operated their businesses in defiance of the earlier request for mobilization by the faction called by labour.
Its further gathered that both government own and private schools, all fuel filling stations motor packs operated fully, adding that while some banks operated on skeletal services others complied with action.
Similarly, Government owned offices that had earlier on opened were reported to have been forced to close by some officials of NLC.
According Adam Usman, a trader at Terminus market said; “We trust what the Government is doing even though at the moment some of the majors are tough but we know is for our interest.”
Also in a related development, the National Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Danladi Garba Pasali, said they have directed all their members to shun the strike and, “operate their businesses 24 hours.”
When contacted for development, State chairman of the NLC Comrade Jibril Bancir, on a telephone chat said; “we are in a strike and there is full compliance. As at 8:00 pm when we locked the gate of the state secretariat, no worker was able to get into the office.
However, group of youth in Plateau state have accused the NLC leadership for playing politics with lives of citizens by embarking on strike.
“We were told some of them are been sponsored to cripple federal government and hold them to a standstill”.
