The federal government, in its desperate move to stop the nationwide strike declared by the organised? labour, yesterday drafted over 1,000 security operatives to all entrances leading to the Eagle Square in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Workers at the federal secretariat were thoroughly searched by security operatives after identification before being allowed into their places of work.
Some of the workers who spoke with LEADERSHIP WEEKEND described the situation as unbearable, saying, “The whole place looks as if we were in a military era; see how we are being policed in what is supposed to be a democratic government.”
In another development, a group of youths and women numbering over 1,000, yesterday clashed following the refusal of the organiser of the rally to pay them their? booty.
Some of the youths who spoke with our reporter said they were in the Labour House to express their support for the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.
The groups are National Youth Movement for the Removal of Subsidy (NYMRS), Women For Thisday (WFT) and the Unemployed Youth Association of Nigeria (UYAN).
The leader of UYAN, Ebi Zuofa also called on the National Assembly to institute a law that will compel politicians to invest in Nigeria in order to create jobs for the youth.
The groups were afterwards seen in groups collecting N1,000 each from the organisers of the protest.
Trouble, however, started when some of the youths went into rampage, demanding for complete payment from the organisers.
Every attempt to speak with leaders of the groups suffered a setback as none was willing to speak with journalists.
Some women who spoke to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND said, “We were called to protest in Labour House against the general strike expected to begin on Monday. They told us that after the protest we would be paid N1,500 each, but they are now giving us N1,000, even when we were told that they collected N10million for this project.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the invasion of its secretariat in Abuja by thugs under the watch of the police.?
The acting general secretary of NLC, Owei Lakemfa, however, said the thugs, numbering about 70, who were allegedly hired by government agents, later apologised for their action, claiming that they were not told they were being brought to the NLC.?