Banks, schools, and hospitals in Ogun State were shut down on Monday due to an indefinite strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC). Our correspondent observed that banks in the Oke-Ilewo area of Abeokuta did not open for operations, and schools like St. Anne's Nursery and Primary School sent their pupils home.

Nurses at the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, also withdrew their services, leaving doctors to provide minimal care. A senior matron, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution, confirmed that staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, joined the strike, resulting in patients being discharged and told to return when the strike ends.

“The staff at OOUTH have joined the strike, though the doctors, who are not NLC members, are still on duty. Patients have no choice but to leave and return once the strike is over,” the source stated.

TUC Chairman in Ogun State, Akeem Lasisi, described the strike as very successful, with total and encouraging compliance. Lasisi explained, “We are aware that organised labour gave the federal government until May 31, 2024, to implement the new minimum wage. If it failed, we had no choice but to start an indefinite strike today. We also demanded the recent electricity tariff increase from N225 per kilowatt-hour be reverted to N66 per kilowatt-hour.”

He criticized the government’s categorization of electricity consumers into bands A, B, C, and D, calling it discriminatory. “The government has ignored our demands. Even the Minister of Power has been silent on this issue,” Lasisi added.

The federal government offered a N60,000 minimum wage, which Lasisi argued was insincere, given that the lowest-paid federal worker currently earns N77,000. “The workers are suffering with the rising costs of food, transportation, and other essentials. Life is becoming too hard,” he said.

He noted the strike's total compliance, with schools, hospitals, local government secretariats, and state and federal offices shut down. “We allowed some schools to open for students taking the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. Overall, the strike in Ogun State has been very successful,” Lasisi said.

He urged the federal government to engage in dialogue with workers to resolve the issue in their favor. “The suffering is much, and the government needs to respond positively to our modest requests,” he concluded.

The NLC and TUC directed their members to strike due to the government's refusal to meet their demand for a minimum wage of over N494,000, while the government offered N60,000. Organised labour also demanded that the electricity tariff be reverted from N225 per kilowatt-hour to N66 per kilowatt-hour.