Apapa port shut, commuters stranded as warning strike begins in Lagos

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has initiated a two-day warning strike, resulting in a crowd gathering outside the Apapa port as its staff were denied entry.

The NLC’s decision to commence the strike comes after it declined a meeting with the Federal Government due to escalating hardships and suffering across the country caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.

On Friday, the NLC issued a notice for a two-day warning strike to protest the widespread suffering and impoverishment experienced across the country, while also threatening a complete and indefinite shutdown of the economy within 14 working days or 21 days after the warning strike if the government did not take steps to address the hardships experienced nationwide.

An agitated seaport staff member expressed frustration with the federal government’s negligence towards the suffering of Nigerians. He believes that the two-day strike won’t be sufficient and suggested a complete shutdown.

Other workers at the Apapa seaport stated their ignorance of the warning strike. An anonymous individual said, “the media were not being factual with the information they sent to the public. At first, I heard of the strike, and later, I heard it wouldn’t hold. You know NLC is always not stable with their actions compared to the days of Adams Oshiomole when he was the President of the Union. But now, we no longer believe their statements; that’s why many of us were not aware of the warning strike.”

Vanguard observed that the Apapa seaport gates were all locked, leaving many stranded.

In the midst of these developments, the Mile 2 road experienced a standstill as vehicles refused to transport commuters, leading to disruptions in some offices in the Apapa area.