A faction of bakers in the nation, on Monday, opposed the impending nationwide strike announced by some of their counterparts, set to commence on Tuesday.
The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, having declared a nationwide strike from February 27 unless the Federal Government honors the 2020 agreement, also advocated for the temporary suspension of all bakery industry taxes at federal, state, and local government levels.
In the strike announcement, the National President of AMBCON, Mansur Umar, called for the liberalization of flour and sugar importation, reduced or eliminated import duties on major baking materials, concessionary forex exchange to flour millers, reduced tariffs on imported wheat and sugar, and the establishment of a price control and monitoring committee.
However, the Supreme Bakers and Confectioners Association of Nigeria, in a statement on Monday, opposed the strike, considering it unpatriotic during a period of food insecurity.
The association’s acting National President, Edmund Egbuji, urged members not to participate, emphasizing the need for a government-led roundtable discussion to address food scarcity issues.