The indefinite strike embarked upon by the Ogun Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other labour unions has crippled government activities in the state.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the strike in Ota on Wednesday, reports that all the government agencies were under lock and key.
NAN reports that the Magistrate’s Court, High Court and Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government premises were also locked.
NAN recalls that NLC on Monday directed all civil and public servants to withdraw their services indefinitely over unresolved issues surrounding the state Pension Reform Law.
NAN also reports that only security guards were sighted on duty around the premises, turning visitors back at the gates.
A lawyer at the Magistrate’s Court in Ota, Mr Temitayo Banjo, said he came to court to perfect the bail conditions for his client, but found that the court did not open.
Banjo appealed to the State Government to urgently address the workers’ demand.
“I have wasted my time and money to buy fuel for my car this morning,” he said.
Another lawyer at the High Court, Ota, Mr Kunle Carew, said that the strikehad devastating effect on court activities.
Carew said that the impact of the workers’ action on court activities would depend on how quickly the State Government resolved the conflict with NLC.
He urged the government to always do the needful to prevent unnecessary strikes in the state.
A staff of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Mrs Olubunmi Odusanya, said that it was unfair the way the government was treating the workers.
Odusanya said that workers are the engine room of any government, adding that they deserve better working conditions.
“We are, therefore, appealing to the government to urgently remit our pension deductions and implement the Ogun State Pension Reform Law,” she said.
She said that workers would not continue to suffer and smile, pretending that all is well.
The workers said for 14 years, the State Government could not remit over N82 billion, being the contributory pension deductions from the workers to the fund.
They said the action was in breach of the pension law, and a serious threat to their future upon retirement.
