THE Governor Nasir el-Rufai leadership of Kaduna has described Monday’s street protests and the ongoing 5-day warning strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to resist the government’s mass sack of workers as “a campaign of social and economic sabotage,” insisting that the resistance will not distract it from its plan to “rightsize” the civil service of the state.
The state’s Head of Service, Mrs Bara’atu Mohammed, told journalists in Kaduna during a brief State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Monday that the first day of the strike has not affected the operations of the government.
Mrs Mohammed said the state government will not rescind the decision to sack civil servants that are not needed by the state and vowed that the government will not be distracted.
“What is happening in Kaduna is not an industrial action but a campaign of social and economic sabotage. Kaduna State government is functioning despite the illegal attempt to block our offices, hospitals and schools. The schools are opened, our offices are opened, the hospitals are opened.
“NLC are [sic] aware that inflicting pains on citizens by locking hospitals and shutting down electricity will not change the decision of Kaduna State government to rightsize and will not change our intention to use the Trade Union Act which prohibits strike by extension service workers,” the Head of Service said.
Mrs Mohammed also said she received the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in hear office Monday morning who told the government they will not be part of the NLC strike.
“The TUC met with us today and we had a fruitful discussion. It was a good discussion. They also promised us they will not be party to the NLC strike in the state.
