The strike called by the factional leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC led by Ayuba Wabba to protest the increment in the pump price of fuel and the reversal of electricity tariff to pre-February 2016 failed in Lagos as offices, market, banks factories, schools and others opened for business.

The NLC marched from Yaba, Ikeja and other places in the state to drum up support for the strike.

The protest which began by 6.am at the popular Yaba market marched through the long stretch of Ikorodu road and made a detour at Maryland to Ikeja, vehicular movement were impeded during the 7 hours the protest lasted.

The protest led by the Joint Action Front (JAF), include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), National Union of Air Transport Employee (NUATE), Arewa Youth Consultative Forum among other Civil Society Groups.

Speaking on the strike, the secretary general of JAF, Abiodun Aremu decried the federal government insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians .
He said the citizens must struggle to defeat the country’s rich class of profiteers and looters irrespective of the political party they belong.
In the words of Aremu, ” the wicked increases in fuel and electricity tariff are a product of the capitalist neoliberal policies of deregulation and privatisation. Policies of deregulation and privatisation, in essence and always are punishment to the working people and the poor.
They are policies that as a rule must make lives miserable for the poor at the expense of the few rich looters. With deregulation and privatisation, there will continue to be hike in electricity tariffs, unpaid salaries and slave wages, lack of social security and welfare, commercialisation of education and healthcare, poor living conditions, job losses and unemployment”.

He stated further that, “deregulation and privitisation policies are dictated by greed, profit-seeking and looting. These policies are bound to increase the sufferings and deprivation of the poor masses and working people, irrespective of which regime is in power”