By Stellamaris | Anambra
Government offices in Osun State were shut on Monday as workers began a three-day strike directed by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gates to the Osun Government Secretariat and the state House of Assembly in Osogbo were locked, with no workers or business activities going on in the premises. The gates of the Olorunda Local Government Secretariat and the Osogbo Local Government Secretariat were also locked.
Students of public schools in Osogbo were asked to return home, as teachers in public schools also joined the strike. NAN reports that the NLC Chairman in Osun, Christopher Arapasopo, and the Secretary, Victor Amusan, directed all affiliate members of the congress to embark on a three-day sympathy strike with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE). They gave the directive in a statement on Sunday.
The NLC leadership explained that the strike followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal and Osun State governments over the continued withholding of the state’s local government statutory allocations.
The NLC said the issues raised about the local government allocations remained unresolved. It said that after exhausting all reasonable avenues, and in line with the resolutions of an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) held on October 28, all affiliate members of the NLC were directed to go on strike.
