Protests Paralyse Nigerian Cities

Nigerian cities were groaing yesterday under a crushing weight of strikes, protests and rallies to force a reversal of petrol prices.


The protests were staged in more than 30 state capitals and towns.


Professionals, activists, workers, students, artisans and ordinary Nigerians hit the streets, carrying placards and singing anti-government songs. They heeded calls by the Nigeria labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which asked workers to shun work indefinitely, in response to the sudden withdrawal of subsidy on petrol on January 1. The government’s action sent petrol price jumping from N65 per litre to between N138 and N200.

The government said the cash to be saved from the subsidy that has been withdrawn will go into infrastructure, jobs and diversification of the economy. Labour disagreed.


The seat of government in Abuja was grounded by the protesters who prevented government officials, including ministers, from getting to their offices. The rally was addressed by labour leaders.


In Kano, the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, who attempted to break into the Government House. In the ensuing melee, a 15-year-old boy was reportedly killed. Many others were injured, hit by stray bullets, it was learnt.

Four people, including three in Benin City and one in Lagos, died.


Two ex-governors - Balarabe Musa and Hamid Alli-led the protest in Kaduna.


Protests and rallies were held in Abeokuta, Minna, Ibadan, Ado-Ekiti, Osogbo, Awka, Enugu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Makurdi, Bauchi and Gombe and Oyo, among other state capitals and cities.


Businesses were shut down in Lagos. Airports and seaports were grounded.


The economy lost billions of naira.


The Federal Government pleaded for peace, saying dialogue remains the best way to resolve the matter.


In Lagos, the Labour team took off from the NLC Secretariat in Yaba with a fairly large crowd, which grew as they trekked along, sensitising the people on the reason for the protest.


The team was led by NLC Deputy President Joe Ajaero. TUC President General Peter Esele was represented by Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) President Sunday Olusoji Salako.


A Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) ambulance with registration number FST 564AA followed the crowd.


The crowd was massive but it was little compared to those already at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, where the long walk terminated and speeches were delivered.


The Save Nigeria Group (SNG) organised the rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Park. The crowd gathered there as early as 8.00am.


They moved through Ojuelegba to Jibowu, Fadeyi and Palmgrove, where a group of hoodlums tried to cause trouble, pelting the protesters with stones and other objects. But they were prevented by the police who employed force to stop the protest from being hijacked.


Save for the face-off with the hoodlums, the police were civil as they accompanied the protesters.


The SNG team was led by Pastor Tunde Bakare, the vice presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in last year’s presidential election.


Apart from Bakare, there were pro-democracy activists, such as Lagos lawyer Femi Falana, activist Yinka Odumakin and Dr. Joe-Okei Odumakin, Chief Dele Momodu, elder statesman Tunji Braithwaite, Mrs Ganiat Fawehimmi and her son, Mohammed, among other activists. There were musicians and actors – its members. Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Wasiu Ayinde, Ras Kimono, Dede Mabiakwu and others.


The crowd was so large that it stretched as far as the Maryland Bridge.


Ajibola Wahid, a lawyer, could not understand why the government could not arrest its members.


“I am protesting because the government cannot punish us for its inability to arrest 41 Nigerians who are behind the subsidy rackets.”


There was a huge podium from where the leaders addressed the crowd. A big electricity generating set was installed. The protesters threatened to remain at the Park for days to come, should the government fail to revert petrol price to N65.


At a point, a helicopter hovered over the crowd of protesters. But they were unmoved.


Songs of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was booming from the giant speakers and the crowd sang along.


Bakare said with or without subsidy, poor Nigerians would still lose out. He urged the government to tell the people how much the country is making from oil daily and make available the cost of daily production.


He said successive administrations paid for Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries with nothing to show for it.


“The problem is corruption. More than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s earning is spent on their salaries and emolument. The corruption has to be removed,” the pastor said.


Salako said he could not say how long it would take but he knew that the people’s will would prevail. He warned banks against opening during the protests.


To Ajaero, reversal to N65 per litre is not negotiable.


Lagos Lawyer Femi Falana, accompanied by his son Folarin, said the people are angry because successive administrations have denied them the benefits of democracy. He said if they resolved to revolt, nobody can stop the revolution. He insisted that the people have the right to protest, saying inspite of having to address protest rallies for over 35 years little had changed in the polity.


Elder-statesman and Second Republic presidential candidate Dr. Tunji Braithwaite said “the revolution has started” and it cannot be stopped”.


“We have been ruled for a long time by mosquitoes. It is not only about fuel price, what about corruption. This is going to be a mother of all revolution. We will re arrange our affair,” said the 76-year old lawyer.


The widow of the late activist, Chime Ubani, Ochuwa, also attended the rally.


There were also leaders of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Air Transport Workers, among many others.

source: thenation newspaper