Subsidy protests rock Lagos, Ibadan, other cities in Nigeria.

The first in the series of rallies against the removal of the subsidy on petrol held across the country on Tuesday. The rallies were organised by Labour, which had threatened that the government decision would be met by a “mother of all rallies”.

In Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Ibadan and other parts of the country, angry protesters trooped to the streets to denounce the Federal Government for removing the subsidy.

In several places there were skirmishes between security agents deployed to disperse protesters, while in Ilorin, Kwara State at least two protesters were reportedly shot dead. The protesters made bonfires on major roads, chanted anti- government slogans and distributed leaflets calling for the rejection of the removal of subsidy.

Death in Kwara

In Ilorin, while eyewitnesses insisted that two protesters died, the state police command and the state government only confirmed one death.

However, there were conflicting claims on how one of the protesters, who met his death in the Offa Garage area of the town, died.

While a version said the dead young man was hit by a stray bullet from a police gun, the police said the deceased was attacked and killed by protesters who felt he was not on their side.

“In the course of the demonstration, some of the motorcyclists who felt that the individual was not on their side attacked him with a sharp object on his chest as a result of which he died on the spot.

“Some machines at Total and MRS filling stations were also damaged, a bullion van attached to Sterling Bank was set ablaze,” the Police Public Relations Officer in the state command, Mr. Dabo Ezekiel, said.

An eyewitness told said that the victim died when he was hit in the chest by a bullet fired by policemen.

It was reported that the protesters, who were in their hundreds, had staged peaceful protests along Emir Road, Adangba area, Ibrahim Tawio Road, Unity Road, Oja Oba, Sango and the popular Post Office area.

The protesters marched around singing, “We no go gree o. We no go gree. N140 we no go gree.”

He adds that the protest, which was peaceful for about two hours, turned violent when the police shot tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters.
The spokesperson for the state governor, Mr. Wahab Oba, in a statement, said Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, had ordered a probe into the incident.

Fawehinmi, Fela represented in Lagos

In Lagos, Ganiyat, the wife of the late social crusade and lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi; and Seun, the son of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, were part of the anti-subsidy removal protest march.

Prominent activists who led the march were Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana; Vice- President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Isa Aremu; and former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Dipo Fashina. Groups that took active part in the protest included the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights; Civil Liberties Organisation; National Association of Nigerian Students; and Social Democratic Movement.

As the protesters made their way down the Ikorodu Road, from the NLC secretariat in Yaba to the Gani Fawehinmi Garden at Ojota, they were joined by other Nigerians. At Ojota, the leaders of the protest made speeches denouncing the hardship subsidy removal had brought to the citizens.

Falana said the mass action was necessitated by President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to take a major step that would affect every Nigerian without due consultation.

He said the relevant groups on the board of Petroleum Products pricing Regulatory Agency were not consulted for their inputs before the unilateral decision to remove the subsidy.

“We are ready to fight to the finish. There is a step that needs to be taken before a decision like that is taken.

“There is a board for PPPRA made up of the NLC, Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Road Transport Workers. The board is empowered to have inputs in the decision to increase the prices of fuel but that body did not meet before Jonathan took his decision.

“We don’t know where the decision was taken. The procedure for increasing the price of fuel has not been followed. N240bn was allocated for fuel subsidy in 2011; nobody has explained to us how that figure was reached.”(N1.3trillion)

Fashina, who is also the National Coordinator of JAF, called for more people across the country to join the “mass action to enforce the stay-at-home and strike action” whenever labour and its allies declared such.

Fashina said, “Nigerians have rejected the cruel removal of the subsidy on fuel and the subsequent increase in the prices of petroleum products.

“We reject all other cruel policies of the Federal Government, which are aimed at subjugating the masses for the benefit of a few people and their foreign masters. We enjoin other Nigerians to join in this struggle because this is just the beginning.”

Secretary, JAF, Mr. Abiodun Aremu, said the rally had been planned before the subsidy removal was announced on January 1.

“JAF as a partner of the NLC, Trade Union Congress and the Labour and Civil Society Coalition decided to embark on this first phase of the main action that will be taken against President Goodluck Jonathan’s removal of the fuel subsidy before the announcement of the removal. This is not the fight of a few people. All Nigerians must join in,” he said.

On his part, Isa Aremu said the agreement reached with the Federal Government to keep the price of petrol at N65 was still binding.

“That agreement, which we reached in 2009, has not expired. We were still in the process of consultation over the proposed deregulation of the downstream section, when the PPPRA suddenly announced the new price.

“Have you ever heard anywhere in the world that the price of fuel is increased for more than 100 per cent at a time? That can only happen in the ‘republic of slaves.’ But we are putting our feet down on this one.

“Within these last two days, transport fares have shot up for more than 200 per cent. If this situation is not reversed, many students will not even be able to resume schools because the price of everything will shoot up.”

Also, a popular TV presenter, Miss Funmi Iyanda, said the removal of subsidy by the Federal Government was a great disservice to the Nigerian people.

She urged Nigerians not to be bamboozled by the empty rhetoric of the government that the removal meant well for the people.

“We cannot back out but fight for our rights. The protest is about our future and this is the time to determine our future. The subsidy should be restored,” Iyanda said.

The wife of the late rights activist, Mrs. Ganiat Fawehinmi, enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to fight the hike in fuel to a standstill.

She said if Nigerians unite to fight the subsidy removal, the people would certainly triumph over the forces of evil plaguing the country into another round of fuel crisis.

Fawehinmi said, “I thank all for coming to the rally. I urge every Nigerian to join us in this fight until we win. My husband, Gani Fawehinmi, died fighting for the poor masses of this country. I know his spirit is here with us. Nobody should buy fuel for more than the former price.

“Already, because of the situation, those who went to their villages to celebrate the Christmas cannot come back home because fares have gone up. This is unfair and let all of us unite against and I am certainly victory is ours.”

Oyo youths send Ajimobi to Jonathan

In Ibadan, Oyo State, The Students Union Government of the University of Ibadan in collaboration with the civil society stormed the Government secretariat at Agodi, Ibadan, and forced Governor Abiola Ajimobi to receive a protest letter for onward dispatch to Jonathan.

The youths under the aegis of Coalition of Youths Against Fuel Subsidy Removal were seen chanting anti-subsidy removal songs round some major streets within the metropolis. The placard-carrying youths threatened to make the country ungovernable for the Jonathan administration if the President refused to reverse the subsidy removal within one week.