By Our Correspondents

TRUE to its threat, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), commenced its national industrial ac­tion yesterday.

But, a faction of the Congress led by Comrade Joe Ajaero, civil servants, bank workers and opera­tors of private businesses shunned the strike in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

As early as 8:00am, civil servants reported for duty at the federal secretariat while security personnel manned stra­tegic locations around the Three Arms Zone. They were also at the en­try points into the city, while a police helicopter provided aerial surveil­lance.

However, NLC Presi­dent, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, led a protest march from the Labour House located at the Central Business District to the Federal Secretariat at the Three Arms Zone.

Wabba reiterated NLC’s resolve to fight for the right of Nige­rian workers, to ensure good governance and transparent process for the good of the Nigerian people.

He said the NLC would continue to fight against anti-people policies.

“Therefore, labour and, particularly, the NLC, have said consis­tently, if policies are right, we will support them but if promises are anti-people, we will con­tinue to resist them.

“That is why we are here today to resist this policy of the increase in fuel pump price, we must allow market forc­es to drive the pump price of this very essen­tial product in our coun­try,’’ he said.

He blamed the col­lapse of the refineries on corruption, noting that was why the Congress had earlier mobilised workers in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption.

Also speaking, Mr Isa Aremu described the in­crease in price of petrol product by over 70 per cent as outrageous.

Spokesman of the civil society groups, Dr. Dipo Fashina, said the in­crease was arbitrary, un­just and against all rules of good governance.

There was a mild dra­ma, though, at the en­trance of the National Assembly and the offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Fed­eration Babachir David Lawal

A group of protesters, in support of the removal of fuel subsidy, stormed the National Assembly.

The protesters com­prising mostly young men, numbering about 50, carried a casket said to bear the remains of the removal of subsidy.

They were accompa­nied by men of the Ni­gerian police and the Ni­gerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, who es­corted them to and from their destination.