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.
FG: Soldiers to Remain in Lagos, Other Cities
18 Jan 2012
By Ibrahim Shuaibu, Tunde Sanni, John Shiklam, Michael Olugbode and Senator Iroegbu
Nigeria ThisDay
Federal Government has declared that soldiers would remain deployed in Lagos and other strategic cities in the aftermath of the street demonstrations over the removal of fuel subsidy.
Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, made this disclosure during a media chat on the state of security in the country occasioned by protests, killings and bombings.
Mohammed said as a responsive government, the President Goodluck Jonathan administration would not risk withdrawing soldiers from the streets while some aggrieved unleash violence on Nigerians.
He explained that government acted following security reports that the initial peaceful and lawful demonstration by the organised labour and civil society groups had been hijacked by people with selfish motive planning to turn into a riotous movement similar to the situation in Syria and Libya.
He, however, commended Nigerians who came out to express their displeasure without violence and arson, adding that it had to be stopped because of security reports against those with ulterior motives.
“While reiterating Mr. President’s pledge in his broadcast that government will continue to respect the people’s right to express themselves within the confines of the law and in accordance with the dictates of our democratic space, let me emphasise that under no circumstances will the government stand aloof while some misguided elements unleash violence on the Nigerian society,” he said.
He added: “The Goodluck Jonathan administration is irrevocably committed to promoting the greatest number of Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation.
“We must make sure that the intention of those threatening to unleash violence on the collective peace of Nigerians materialise and we must not entertain such risk of withdrawing the soldiers from the streets (of Lagos) until the situation stabilises."
Meanwhile, a day after the nationwide strike jointly called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to protest the increase in the pump price of petrol was suspended, life has started to pick up across the country, reports have shown.
THISDAY checks revealed that economic and commercial activities have returned to the ancient city of Kano in contrast to the directive by the state chapter of the NLC that had urged both public and private sector workers as well as artisans to ignore the national leadership of the NLC and continue with the strike and street protests.
Chairman of the state chapter of the NLC, Alhaji Isa Inusa Danguguwa, gave the directive at a press conference on Monday.
But going round Kano metropolis yesterday, THISDAY found in defiance of the directive that most private businesses had reopened their outfits with commercial buses and taxis conveying passengers to their various destinations.
All the major markets, such as: Kantin Kwari, Singer, Mohammed Abubakar Rimi (Sabon Gari Market) were opened for business; even mega petrol stations also opened and were attending to the long queues of motorists. They were selling the product at the new pump price of N97 per litre.
It was further gathered that while some banks in the metropolis were opened for business, the state secretariat, popularly called Audu Bako Secretariat, housing most of the state ministries and the federal secretariat along Airport Road remained under lock and key.
In the spirit of the new reality, the state government relaxed the curfew it had imposed on the state as a result of the tension generated by the strike from 12 midnight to 6am.
In Oyo State, there was a significant improvement in both human and vehicular movements in Ibadan, the state capital, as workers, in both public and private establishments, returned to work following the suspension of the strike.
Subsequently, the state government announced the suspension of the one-week long curfew imposed on the state in the wake of last week’s anti-petrol subsidy removal protest.
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Akin Olajide, urged the people of the state to maintain peace and order in their conduct.
The statement also urged the people to guard jealously the peace that had reigned in the state before the crisis.
According to the statement, the joint patrol team of police, military and security services would however continue to maintain peace and order in the state, even after the suspension of the curfew.
Kaduna, capital of Kaduna State, has also regained its bubbling status as normal business and commercial activities had resumed in the city in full swing; civil servants have returned to their duty posts, while commercial banks opened for business.
However, many filling stations in the metropolis with the exception of the NNPC mega stations, which were seen selling fuel to motorists at the new price of N97 per litre, were closed.
This has spurred the state government to lift the curfew it had imposed on the city at the wake of the strike.
Announcing the suspension of the curfew in a statement, the Special Assistant to Governor Patrick Yakowa on Media and Publicity, Mr. Reuben Buhari, said government decided to completely lift the curfew as a result of the return of calm and normalcy to Kaduna metropolis and its environs.
Buhari, however, said the ban on gatherings and public assemblies or procession remained in force to protect the public against molestation, intimidation and to protect private and public property.
In Lagos, life has started returning to normal following the return of workers to their places of work. Commercial banks opened for business across the state while the city’s characteristic traffic gridlock also returned in parts of the state.
Similarly, business and commercial activities had almost returned in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as workers trooped back to their different places of work.
Commercial activities were also in high rev while motorists purchased petrol from several filling stations opened for business and dispensing the product at the new pump price of N97 per litre.
Meanwhile, the Borno State chapter of the NLC has asked Nigerians not to be disappointed in the leadership of the trade union which called off the weeklong strike to protest the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.
Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri Tuesday, the Borno State chairman of the NLC, Comrade Titus Ali Abana, said he believed that the labour union had to call off the strike in the interest of the nation and after being presented with certain information that the generality of Nigerians had no knowledge about.
He further said Nigerians should not entertain the fear that the struggle for the reversal of the pump price to N65 was lost as the union only agreed on N97 to enable the door for dialogue not to be shut.
He noted that the government and trade union representatives were still in dialogue to bring the product to an agreeable level.
No comments:
Post a Comment