People of Borno hold first Workers Day in the open in five years
Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Borno workers are out in the open celebrating the international Labour Day (Workers Day) with fanfare for the first time in five years in Maiduguri, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Hundreds of workers and associations affiliated to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) gathered at Ramat Square at the heart of the city as early as 7:30 a.m. to mark Workers Day.
The celebration started at about 9 a.m. Officials of the Labour union said the event commenced early due to the intense heat and sun in the northern state.
The last Workers Day in the state was held at the Square in 2013.
Previous ones were held in government halls or designated venues with heavy security and restriction without the usual fanfare associated with the event.
Chairman, NLC Borno State chapter, Titus Abana, said the violence in the northeast has affected many workers in the state, with scores of them having been killed, maimed or displaced.
He urged government to review salaries of employees to cope with current economic challenges.
