Wednesday, 19 May 2021: The Nigeria Labour Congress has accused the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, of instigating the attack on protesting and striking workers in the state on Tuesday.

The acting General Secretary of the Congress, Ismail Bello, said this in a statement on Tuesday.

Bello said the congress would continue its protests and was considering a nationwide strike over the attack on the workers.

He said: “Just towards the end of the address of Comrade Ayuba Wabba, a convoy of the Kaduna State Governor approached the NEPA Junction, at the heart of Kaduna metropolis where today’s protest was staged.

“Immediately the governor’s convoy beat a retreat from the sea of human heads that had shown up in solidarity with Nigerian workers, busloads of thugs and hooligans drove into NEPA Roundabout from the axis where security operatives supposedly had cordoned off. What happened next can only be described with words apt for a war front.

“The weed-smoking hoodlums disembarked from the buses that brought them, brandished all manner of weapons and surged towards the protesters who were by this time seated under any available shade and listening to the speeches made by their leaders.

“To our greatest consternation, while the hired killer squad attacked the workers, the initial response of the security operatives who were there presumably to protect the protesting workers was ‘siddon-look’, and subsequently, entreaties with the criminal mob.

“It was only when the workers began to defend themselves did the security operatives get into the fray – and their first action was to fire tear gas canisters at protesting workers.”

The congress said it was consulting with its organs on the next line of action, noting that a declaration of nationwide strike was not excluded from their considerations.

It said: “We are already consulting with the organs of our movement on the next line of strategy in our struggle given Mr El-Rufai’s disdain for social dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues. An immediate declaration of national strike is not excluded from our immediate considerations.

“Another attack by Mr El-Rufai will most likely automatically activate a nationwide solidarity action with Kaduna State workers.”