Nigerian masses confront army troops on the streets. The government has ordered the military into the capital of Lagos after the announcement by the NLC and TUC of a suspension of strike action., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Lagos residents condemn military presence
Written by Chukwuma Okparaocha
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Nigerian Tribune
Many Lagos residents have condemned the deployment of military officers by the Federal Government to curb protests that greeted the removal of fuel subsidy in the country, which saw a dramatic increase in the pump price of petrol in all filling stations in the country from N65 to N141.
Places such as the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota, which was the spot where a record mammoth crowd of protesters gathered last week, as well as Falomo, were, on Monday, taken over by combat ready military officers, who also came in their armour vehicles.
The residents of these places, who were perhaps getting ready to commence another round of protests, were stunned when they woke up only to discover that places that were a beehive of rallies, protests and demonstrations against increase in petrol price throughout last week had become a shadow of their former selves, a situation that further enraged many residents.
While speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on this development, Mrs Comfort Adaeze, a resident of Ojota, insisted that what the government had done was tantamount to an act of cowardice, saying military officers were only meant to be deployed in very serious and tense situations.
“The presence of these military officers would further make Nigerians to be more distraught towards the government. The protests held in this place (the Fawehimi park) last week, was largely peaceful. Why therefore, would the government descend so low to the extent of bringing in soldiers?” queried Mrs Adaeze, adding that, “I don’t think the government would want to create a state full of fear and intimidation.”
Ademola Gbenga, another resident who condemned the development, said, “this is a government that found it extremely difficult to deploy military personnel to deal with Boko Haram members in spite of the fact that the group has owned up to a series of killings in the country.
“Yet, the government has found it easy to attempt to use the military to stifle the voice of the people; it won’t work,” Gbenga posited.
Akwa Ibom workers to continue strike
To press for payment of N18,00 minimum wage
Written by Gill Nsa-Abasi
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), in Akwa Ibom State has said workers in the state would continue to stay at home even as the national strike declared by the national body of the union over the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry has been suspended.
Comrade Unyime Usoro, the state chairman of NLC, told newsmen in Uyo that workers had already made commitment to remain on strike and press for the full implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage before the fuel subsidy strike began.
Workers in the state under the umbrella of NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, had since January 3, 2012 declared indefinite strike action against the state government over delayed implementation of the N18, 000 minimum wage in full and other entitlements.
In a government reaction from the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Anienkan Umanah, he restated the official position saying, "goverment wishes to appeal to the NLC in Akwa Ibom State to take a cue from the NLC at the national level and immediately call off the strike action and allow normal economic activities to return since government was opened to further negotiation.
He added, "government is interested in the well being of the workforce and would continue to work with the organised labour to ensure that workers in the state get the best."
However, Comrade Usoro, the NLC boss in the state, said the industrial action by the civil servants would continue until government met their demands fully and agree on the new salary table.
Meanwhile, the President of Christ Pragmatic Fire International Fellowship in Eket Local Government Area of the state, Rev. PraiseGod Otok, has advised the organised labour and the state government to seek ways of resolving the contending issue amicably saying the lingering crisis, if not nipped in the bud, will cripple the state’s economy.
He noted with concern that the confrontational approach adopted by the feuding parties which resulted in the indefinite strike in the state since January 3, 2012, had completely brought to stand still government programmes and activities in the state.
He recalled a recent government statement where the governor said “government had released N16 billion, to offset the arrears of the minimum wage," and advised that labour should verify the claim, to ascertain why workers had not received the money.
Earlier, Comrade Usoro described the action of President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce the price of fuel from N141.00 to N97.00 per litre as a lesson in humility.
CD rejects N97 fuel price
Written by Soji Ajibola, Lagos
Nigerian Tribune
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Members of the Civil Society Organisations, on Monday in Lagos, rejected the N97 pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, as approved by President Goodluck Jonathan in his nationwide broadcast.
Also, over 3,000 protesters, in defiance of the stay at home order of the organised labour, took to the streets of Lagos on Monday but were barred from gaining entry to the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota by a combined team of soldiers and policemen.
Threatening to carry on with the protest, the protesters later relocated to the African Shrine, off Agidingbi road, Ikeja.
Reacting to the development, the Campaign for Democracy (CD) in a statement signed by its coordinator, Dr Joe Okei Odumakin, said the deployment of soldiers in Gani Fawehinmi park and across the metropolis was a clear signal that the Jonathan administration was bent on trampling on the wishes of Nigerians to resist an unjust and wicked fuel hike.
‘We reject the pump price of N97 and call on the people of Nigeria to continue the struggle against the fuel price hike, until this arrogant regime bows to the wishes of the people,” the statement said.
Protest: 100 arrested in Kogi
Written by Yekini Jimoh
Nigerian Tribune
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
ShareAS the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspend the nationwide strike over the fuel subsidy removal, no fewer than 100 persons have been arrested in Kogi State by the police in connection with subsidy removal protest.
A 16-year-old boy was allegedly killed during the protest while many others were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury.
The state police command made the arrests last week Thursday in an operation led by the state Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that after the alleged killing at Madabo area, the police went to the area and arrested people, mainly youths indiscriminately, thereby creating tension in the area.
But a source who claimed the deceased was killed by the police said, “they come to the area at night and arrest people. Many youths have been arrested since the police killed the innocent boy in the mosque.’’
A woman who identified herself as Mama Shem said her innocent son was arrested on Friday along with others and had not been released since then.
She further said that each time she went to the station to give him food, the policemen always extorted money from her adding that those who could not part with money were denied access to their children.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kogi State command, Ajayi Okasammi, who confirmed the arrests.
Politicians behind subsidy riot - Jonathan •US backs subsidy removal •Cautions FG on implementation
Written by Leon Usigbe, Abuja, with Agency Report
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has described protests in parts of the country which trailed the discontinuance of fuel subsidy as political riots, blaming politicians for the nation’s woes.
Speaking during the 38th edition of the President’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Awards in the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, on Monday, he thanked Nigerian youths for not taking part in the mass protests.
Jonathan explained that because of government’s realisation of the importance of the youth in national development, the leadership of students in the country was among the stakeholders consulted by the government before the decision to deregulate the oil sector was taken.
The president urged Nigerians, particularly the elite, to desist from acts that were capable of distracting the government and compounding the current security challenges in the country.
According to him, “from inception, our administration has demonstrated absolute commitment to the promotion of democratic ideals and unwavering respect for the rule of law.
“By the same token, we expect that all stakeholders would continue to operate within the ambit of the law at all times. Rights and privileges come with responsibilities.
“I wish to reiterate my commitment to working unrelentingly for the enduring welfare and well-being of Nigerians at all times.
“Nigerians elected me and I remain committed to transforming Nigeria in a way to engender the greatest good for the greater number of us.”
The president pointed out that whatever his government was currently doing, especially in the area of economic transformation was for the sake of the future of the country.
“If we cannot build good roads for our children; if we cannot leave hospitals for them, then one thing we must not leave for them is debt for them to come and pay,” he said.
He reiterated that government could not continue to borrow money to subsidise fuel for people “who have 10 or 15 cars and all their underaged children will be driving the cars around Lagos.”
Jonathan blamed politicians for the many evils bedevilling the country, saying “if NYSC uniform now attracts evil men, before once you wear NYSC uniform, people can give you a ride freely.
“Who are those creating these problems? They are not ordinary men and women in our villages. They are politicians.
“It is politicians who are exploiting the situation negatively. We are even making our youths to hit themselves in the name of politics. We will all change.”
He announced the offer of automatic employment to 52 former NYSC members for their excellent performance during their service year.
Drawn from 2009 Batch ‘C’/2010 batches ‘A’ and ‘B’ service years, the awardees are also to enjoy scholarship for their masters and doctorate degrees in universities anywhere in the world.
He said the decision to add scholarship and automatic employment to the certificates and medals received by the ex-corps members was to encourage them and other youths to continue to work hard.
The president directed the ministers of Youth Development, Education, as well as Mineral Resources to coordinate the exercise, adding that the scholarship for those in sciences and petroleum-related fields, including Petroleum Law or Petroleum Economics, would be funded by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, while the Education Tax Fund would fund the rest.
US Support
Meanwhile, the United States government openly declared its support for the removal of the fuel subsidy, but cautioned the Federal Government on how it manages the situation, according to a press release from the US State Department issued on Monday.
Empowered Newswire reported that US administration officials, speaking with reporters travelling with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to West Africa this week, said of the fuel subsidy removal by the Nigerian government, “we support the government’s efforts to remove the fuel subsidy; how they do it is, of course, a question that they have to work out.”
Clinton is visiting, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo and then Cape Verde. The US government statement, however, came before the deployment of troops in Lagos on Monday morning.
Previously both the US government and the United Nations had cautioned the Nigerian government on its use of force in quelling the protests, with the UN Human Rights Commission warning that atrocities committed in Nigeria was being observed globally and some of them might be crimes against humanity, against international treaties and fundamental human rights.
But while speaking to reporters on Sunday, the US administration officials with Clinton said while the American government supported the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria, “the issue is a serious one for them, and it will be one that they will have to deal with and work through over the next several weeks.”
According to the US government press release, the fuel subsidy in Nigeria is very costly and has kept the prices abnormally low.
The US government press release quoting a US official said: “There is currently an ongoing strike in that country related to the government’s efforts to remove a very costly fuel subsidy which has kept fuel prices abnormally low, and which has resulted in the government losing something in the neighbourhood of $8-$9 billion worth of revenues every year.”
The US said it regarded Nigeria along with South Africa, as “one of the two most important countries in sub-Saharan Africa,” with what the US estimates as 170 million people and being the largest African supplier of petroleum to the United States – coming in at roughly eight or nine per cent, “rivalling anything we get from Saudi Arabia – this is a country of great significance.”
Continuing, the US government added that the reason the Nigerian government wanted to stop the subsidy “is because there has been a huge import of fuel into the country, which is then smuggled out of the country across the borders into Togo, Benin, into Niger, and into Cameroon, which is also an enormous drain on the federal Nigerian budget.”
The statement then noted, however, that the Nigerian federal government would have to work through this, but that the US supported the government’s efforts to remove the fuel subsidy.
According to the press release from the State Department, four top US officials spoke to reporters on the record, but on condition of anonymity, as is often the practice of US government when it chooses to speak without identifying the name of public officials. The agreement with reporters who spoke live with these officials is to simply refer to them as administration officials.
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