One Killed, Three Injured As Police Shoot Nassarawa Workers

Police in Nasarawa State yesterday killed a staff of Nassarawa State Government and three others critically wounded as the Nigeria Labour Congress began talks with the Governor Umaru Al-Makura over the protracted labour crisis rocking the state.

NLC President Ayuba Wabba told newsmen at the Police Clinic in Lafia that the workers were allegedly shot by a policeman at the gate of the Government House where they had gone to await the outcome of the NLC meeting with the governor.

Workers in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike following the decision of the state government to slash their salary by 50 per cent.

According to Wabba, one of the workers died immediately, while three others, including a lady were being treated for gun shot wounds at the clinic.

He said the dead victim was a staff of the state Ministry of Education, while the three others who sustained gunshot wounds included a staff of Doma Local Government Council, the Judicial Service Commission and a journalist with the defunct Nigerian Newsday, a state-owned media outfit.

“The workers were unarmed and peacefully protesting for their rights only to be shot at by policemen stationed at the government house gate.

“We do not know what prompted them to shoot at unarmed workers who were waiting for us to finish discussion with the state government over the issue of their emoluments.

“They were attacked with maximum force. You can see one dead, two critically injured. They were very peaceful, unfortunately the police, under whatever pretence opened fire. It is most unfortunate,” he said.

Recounting how the incident happened, Wabba noted that the meeting with the governor was going on when words got to them that police and civil defense personnel had shot randomly at workers.

“While the courtesy formalities were going in Government House, word reached us that the police had gunned down in cold blood some of our members who had accompanied congress delegation but had to wait outside.

“We promptly informed the Governor and the Police authorities but the Police authorities denied the occurrence of any incident.

“The leadership insisted on seeing things for themselves and requested the suspension of the meeting with the Governor.

“Outside, the police personnel denied that any shooting took place, let alone, a casualty.

“On tip-off, the leadership visited two hospitals. In the first hospital, the body of a comrade was found in a Civil Defense bus, yet to be taken to the mortuary.

“Inside the hospital there were two critical cases, hanging on life by the thread,” Yaqub said.

Independent recalled that the Nasarawa State Civil service workers embarked on an indefinite strike on July 5 following the decision of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to slash the salaries by 50 per cent.  Protests by labour unions in the state failed to resolve the crisis.

Comrade Abdullahi Adeka, chairman of NLC in the state said they were forced to embark on the indefinite strike because the government’s reluctance to reverse its decision left them with no choice but to declare the strike action.

“We staged a peaceful protest to the Government House where we made it clear that if by the government did not reverse its decision to cut our salaries would embark on strike.

“We told the Deputy Governor, Mr. Silas Agara who came and received our petition on behalf of the Governor that at the close of work that day, government must reverse the workers unfriendly decision or face strike.

“Since the government remains adamant, the unions would use its only weapon which is strike to press home its demands until the government returns and maintains the status-quo.”

As the strike progressed, Governor Al-Makura had on July 8 threatened to sack the striking workers in the state and replace them with fresh graduates if they failed to return to work.

The Governor insisted that the decision to reduce workers’ salaries was to enable the government focus on other sectors of the state’s economy  and urged the striking workers to call end the industrial action and return to work.

Denja Yaqub
Nassarawa