Ekiti: Government offices, schools still shut as businesses resume fully

Government offices and both public and private schools were still shut in Ekiti State as the industrial action declared by organized labour to protest against fuel pump price hike entered day two on Thursday.

Based on the 24 hours ultimatum issued to Governor Ayodele Fayose to pay the deductions on salaries for December, 2015 or face another industrial crisis, the Chairman of Trade Union Congress in the state, Com. Odunayo Adesoye revealed that the issue will be revisited after the nationwide strike.

Adesoye said the organized labour was awaiting the outcome of the nationwide strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress before the issue will take the centre stage in Ekiti.


The organized labour had on Tuesday written Fayose to pay the deduction or face another industrial action in the state.

Meanwhile, businesses have returned to full capacity in Ado Ekiti metropolis and other towns, contrary to what was witnessed on ‎Wednesday when skeletal business activities were in operation in the capital city and other towns.

When DAILY POST visited the Erekesan market , the major market centre in Ado Ekiti, businesses were in top gear, as marketers were at ‎ their stands doing their trading.

Both public and private schools across the state were still under lock and key.


Even all the shopping complexes and lock up shops in some selected areas that were operating at low capacity on Wednesday had fully returned to work and their owners were at hand doing their brisk businesses.

The high number of commercial vehicles and motorcycles seen plying the Basiri-Fajuyi-Ijigbo –Ajilosun dual carriage way, confirmed that work had full returned in spite of the strike.

But the offices at the old and new governor’s office, as well as the state secretariat , were still shut with few private security guards at hand to keep vigil on them.‎

The Chairmen of NLC, Com. Ade Adesanmi and Joint Negotiating Council, Com. Blessing Oladele, said the organised labour was motoring compliance closely.

They said they will ensure that nothing was allowed to scuttle the level of compliance to the strike in the state, saying the closure of government offices also confirmed that the industrial action had been successful.

The NLC Chairman said: “The strike has been successful in Ekiti.
Though, you may be seeing some private people doing their normal businesses, that is normal. All Nigerians are with us in spirit in this struggle.

“Fuel price hike is something that affects all Nigerians and for anybody to say the strike has not been successful, the person is only lying.‎

“I want to commend the civil servants, who fully complied with the strike, this has really helped us and we will continue until the FG reverse the fuel pump price increase”, Adesanmi said.