THE indefinite nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) against the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government began yesterday on a peaceful note in most states of the federation.

Except in a few cases, where some security personnel displayed excessive use of force, there were hardly incidents of protesters being stopped from holding their rallies.

One of such ugly incidents occurred in Ogba area of Lagos, where a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), whose name was given as Segun Fabunmi, went out of his way by shooting at some youths, who blocked a street with broken bottles and tyres. The police authorities quickly stepped into the situation and arrested the DPO in charge of Pen Cinema Police Station. One of the highlights of the protest was the participation of eminent Nigerians like elder statesman, Tunji Braithwaite.

The Save Nigeria Group (SNG), which also participated in the protest, described it as “a social revolution and the mother-of-all protests.”

In Abuja, commercial and government businesses were also paralysed.

The nation’s capital city witnessed an unusually heavy deployment of armed security personnel as major roads leading to the sprawling Federal Secretariat were sealed off by security men who turned motorists back.

The protest march began from the popular Berger junction through Wuse Market and connected the AP Plaza junction, which was renamed “Freedom Square” where several anti-deregulation speeches were made.

Abuja was peaceful as the protest took place amidst tight security. Most offices were closed but many chief executive officers of government establishments were in the offices to work.          .

Transporters jerked up fares by about 200 per cent but most Abuja residents stayed indoors fearing that the Boko Haram fundamentalist sect might use the event to strike in the city centre.             .

In his speech, President, TUC, Peter Esele, said the Labour Movement will not abandon the Nigerian people to themselves and that they will stand up to the challenges of leading them to the promised land.

For his part, President, NLC, Abdulwahed Omar, said Labour knew that its quest in resisting the removal of subsidy would be tortuous and long but that adequate planning was made to ensure its sustenance.

He condemned government for having “the thirst of taking from the people the only thing that makes them happy.”

Omar also faulted government for slashing only 25 per cent of the basic salaries of political office holders, saying “this cannot be described as sacrifices as it amounts to nothing compared to the massive suffering that will be visited on the people via the removal of fuel subsidy.”

The Police earned uncommon praise from Nigerians for protecting the protesters yesterday in Abuja.

Conducting on-the-spot assessment of the protest at the “Freedom Square,” Commissioner of Police, FCT, Mike Zmokumor, described the protest as the legitimate right of the people but was quick to add that there was the need for decorum.

He pleaded with the protesters to use the designated routes for their procession and lauded them for remaining law-abiding.

Some protesters described the Abuja Police conduct as unprecedented in the history of protests in the country.

At the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Park, Lagos, SNG Convener and Vice Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the last April election, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said the removal of fuel subsidy was not the main bone of contention but corruption in the polity.

The cleric said “whether they remove fuel subsidy or not, ordinary Nigerians will still be short-changed,” Bakare said, and urged the Federal Government to make public how much the country earns from crude oil daily.            .

Elder statesman fiery lawyer and founder of the Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP), Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, who took part in the protest in Lagos, urged Nigerians to resist the policy.

The 78-year-old renowned lawyer said, to thunderous ovation that “the Nigerian revolution will turn out to be the mother-of-all revolutions. The government must be brought down now because a government that cannot provide the immediate needs of the masses is of no use.”               .

Another lawyer, Femi Falana, said: “I have been actively involved in the human rights struggle for the past 35 years, instead for the situation to change for the better, it keeps getting worse.”              .

Afrobeat musician, Femi Kuti, said, “the only way this country can get better is by getting rid of corrupt leaders because they have contributed to getting this nation impoverished.”

Both private and public schools were closed in Lagos and pupils, who were returning from the Christmas and New Year holidays were turned back at the gates by security men.

The maritime sector, which is always a beehive of activities in Lagos, was worse hit by the strike. Although the ports were opened, they were almost deserted by the operators, who stayed away.                    .

The head offices of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Apapa and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Marina were closed.

At the Lagos Port, Apapa and Tincan Island Ports, which were opened yesterday, witnessed a low turnout of freight forwarders. Stern-looking policemen were at the port gates screening persons entering into the ports.            .

Some officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) were on duty to ensure that freight forwarders who came to the ports to transact businesses were attended to.                 .

The NPA had said the ports would be opened for business in line with its 24-hour operations, but freight forwarders and importers stayed away from them to observe the national strike.                 .

An official of the NCS told The Guardian that only the workers who reported for duty on Sunday night were at the ports.

Rasak Ishola, a freight forwarder said it was a risk for any genuine clearing agent or importer to come to the port at this time, adding that the NPA’s decision was not in the interest of the port users.            .

The international and domestic wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos were devoid of its boisterous nature yesterday.             .

The major roads and streets leading to the airports were deserted. The picture was very scary as it portrayed Nigeria as a nation at war.                .

Policemen stationed around strategic areas of the airport had a difficult time preventing protesters from entering the facility.

The peaceful protests crippled flight operations. Save for international flights that took off, the domestic terminals, including the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 was locked to passengers and workers.

Besides Arik Air, which did its early morning flight, no other airline ventured to make a single flight.

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), which deplored the airline’s action, picketed the General Aviation Terminal (GAT). They chased away the airline’s officials in the presence of security operatives.

Passengers, who came on the carrier’s morning flight from London, were stranded.

Returning State House officials and journalists from South Africa for the African National Congress (ANC) centenary in anticipation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s participation in the event were also stranded. They were brought to the presidential wing of the airport in a bus with State House number plate. They sat on bare floor of the expansive Presidential lounge waiting for presidential aircraft to airlift them.

The over 20 persons were airlifted by a Gulf Stream presidential aircraft with registration 5-N FGS at 3.40 p.m.

All the major highways in the metropolis were also empty as both commercial bus drivers and motorcyclists deserted them.

The state government’s vehicles, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) were also off the roads.

In Ikorodu, the demonstration was coordinated by Mr. Femi Enofe, a lawyer and veteran trade unionist. He led the protesters to trek 17 kilometres to the rallying point in Ojota.

The protest almost turned violent when some hoodlums joined it midway to Ojota. They dismantled the barricade erected by the police and soldiers, who tried to clear the bonfire on the road.

One of the soldiers allegedly had his N2,500 stolen at the scene, which made them to stop the rally until Enofe persuaded the youths to return the money for them to continue their demonstration to Ojota. The youths held a brief meeting and returned the money to the soldiers, who allowed the protesters to proceed with their action.          .

Enofe later told The Guardian that the Joint Action Force (JAF) was interested in finding out why it was difficult for the government to deal with their friends and sponsors who they have identified as cabal instead of inflicting needless pains and hardship on the helpless majority of Nigerians

While the protesters marched to Ojota, others remained at Ikorodu town with bonfire on the major roads.              .

“We say no to fuel subsidy removal. We will fight it with our last blood. If Libyans can fight, we also will fight. This protest is beyond Labour,” said Mr. Asa Olajide, who was seen mobilising the youths in Ikorodu town for the rally yesterday.

Fabunmi (the killer police officer) was disarmed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali.

At noon, Alkali ordered for the immediate arrest of Fabunmi and handed him over to the Homicide Division of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos. This action seemed to have paid off as the protesters went about their action unhindered.

A source at the Police Headquarters quoted Alkali as saying: “I warned all the DPOs to avoid the use of arms. This DPO must bear his cross. I did not send him to kill any innocent Nigerian, so he has to face the law.”

The police boss, who described the protest in Lagos as generally peaceful, said the action of the DPO had tainted the efforts of the command to ensure that no protester was hurt.

Angry protesters carried the body of the victim to the Pen Cinema Police Station on a wheelbarrow, chanting war tones.

Some parents, who came to the schools with their children but were turned back, jokingly described the action as the “mother of all strikes.”

The demonstrators in Igando-Ikotun area were trailed by a police van. They chanted songs such as: “Nigeria is for everyone, it must not be destabilised because there is no other nation we can go to; Carry Nigeria up and let all of us do it together.”  They called at the palace of Onigando of Igando, Oba Lasisi Gbadebo Gbadamosi, who addressed the youth and praised them for being lawful.

Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State yesterday appealed to protesting lawyers to exercise their displeasure over the removal of fuel subsidy within the ambit of the law.

The governor, who addressed members of the Lagos branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), said it was better to start from the negotiation table than to end there.

Fashola, who said if Nigerians have the rights to vote, they also have rights to complain against bad policies of government.

He commended the lawyers for the matured manner they carried out their protest, saying “it signifies the maturity of the nation’s democracy.”

The lawyers numbering over 200 marched from the Lagos High Court in Igbosere to the Governor’s House in Marina.

They were led by their chairman, Mr. Taiwo Taiwo, former President, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Mrs. Ayo Obe and Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa.

The lawyers dressed in black suits, left the High Court at 9.05 a.m. and got to the Governor’s House at 10.30 a.m. They chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with inscriptions such as “Impeach Jonathan now; 80 per cent of Nigerians live on $1 per day; fight the cabal not the people, and prosecute the cabals and reduce cost of governance.”

The NBA in a letter written to Jonathan was signed by Taiwo and the Secretary, Alex Muoka. It urged the President not to ignore repeated calls made by the NBA, NLC and other groups to revert to the N65 a litre cost of petrol.

-Guardian

Posted by admin on Jan 10 2012. Filed under Headlines, Oil Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry