Library workers shut down headquarters in protest

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Workers of the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) have shut down its headquarters in Abuja, to demand urgent action to enable the completion of its head office.

The construction at the NLN headquarters located on the Independence Road, Central Business District (CBD), Abuja, begun over ten years ago. Work at the site had been stalled for unknown reasons, raising concerns from for the workers.

With the support of its parent body, the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), the workers on Tuesday said they won’t continue to accept excuses from the government for poor attention and financial allocation to the project.

They took to the streets of Abuja on Tuesday to remind the government of the plight of the workers and the deplorable state of the building, where the national headquarters presently is.

The workers began their march from the old building, through the new site and terminated at the Unity Fountain. Few of them were ushered into the Ministry of Education headquarters for further discussions.

The workers were armed with placards bearing several inscriptions that depicted their unhappiness over the prolonged abandonment of the project

Led by Mrs. Shade Adepoju, the workers chanted solidarity songs, calling for urgent attention to rescue the National Library, which they described as national monument that preserves the past, present and future, history of Nigeria.