Kogi bakers to join bakers’ nationwide strike

Kogi Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria on Monday affirmed their resolved to join a week long nation wide strike declared by bakers.

The association has resolved to down tools and shut down all bakeries for a week as from July 20.

Chief Gabriel Bamidele-Adeniyi, Chairman, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Kogi Chapter, made the declaration on Monday in a news conference held in Lokoja.

Bamidele-Adeniyi explained that joining the strike became imperative in view of the myriads of challenges confronting the bakery and catering industry.

He said that all efforts by the association toward and all efforts remedying the challenges were bluffed.

“Some of the reasons that forced us into the unfortunate industrial action include shortage of raw materials, increasing cost of materials, over taxation and levies.

“Since the ban on importation of flour into the country, no serious effort has been made for home grown wheat as promised by the government and its relevant agency.

“We have requested for intervention in form of soft loans or subsidy to enable us to produce quality and affordable quantity bread for mass consumption but to no avail

“These challenges confronting us are threatening production of affordable and quality bread in the country.

“From July 20, bread will be off the street, markets, shops and dinning table to drive home the points we have raised for necessary action by government.

“This is because constant increase in the prices of baking materials especially flour, sugar and other ingredients, have led to soaring costs, poor quality and great loss of customers and consumers leading to closing of some bakeries,” he explained.

He warned that If the government allowed the strike to hold, thousands of bakers would be closed down, millions of their employees would be jobless and marketers would be affected.

The chairman expressed regret that millions of naira being extracted from the industry would be lost to smugglers and foreign bakers of bread