Civil servants in Anambra State on Tuesday complied with the nationwide strike directive of the Central Working Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, ordering all workers to proceed on strike from midnight on Tuesday.

A visit to the Anambra State Secretariat Complex in Awka showed a few workers who had reported for work standing by the gate on Tuesday morning as the gate was partially closed. The only persons inside the premises were security personnel.

Our correspondent observed that as other workers began to arrive for work thereby increasing in number, members of the NLC arrived in the vicinity of the secretariat complex and forced them back home, leaving only the security personnel.

Similarly, our correspondent paid a visit to one of the new-generation banks in Awka whose doors were firmly closed with only the security personnel seen on duty.

Also, activities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, were disrupted as students were seen loitering on the campus.

However, full economic and commercial activities were recorded in the commercial city of Onitsha, as banks opened for customers while primary and secondary schools were also in session.

A visit to the Federal High Court in Onitsha also saw some of the lawyers and workers standing outside the premises as the gate remained shut as of 10 am on Tuesday.

It was also observed that other economic activities, business premises, markets and schools remained open in Onitsha.

The Anambra State Chairman of the NLC, Humphrey Nwafor, who spoke to journalists on the development, said the body had gone around the government offices in the state capital to ensure compliance, adding that labour will replicate the same action tomorrow in Onitsha.

Nwafor said, “There is strict compliance in Awka as we have gone around public offices to ensure compliance. It is just the banking sector and by tomorrow we are going to go around to ensure compliance. Today, we have gone around government offices to ensure compliance.

“So, I believe by tomorrow, the compliance will be higher, maybe the banks and so on. We will just visit them to see why they are not complying with the directive because they have their union.

“As for health institutions, we are expecting all patients to be discharged latest tonight and the hospitals will fully comply by Wednesday.” (The PUNCH)

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