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The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)declared a nation wide strike which started today. The strike is to force the Aremu lead Government to bring down the petroleum product price, which he increased as a New year gift to Nigerians without contacting the National Assembly.
Yesterday the Federal Govt said that the strike is "ILLEGAL". The Minister of Information Prof. Gerry Gana said that in Abuja. The same yesterday NLC circulated a leaflet saying that No banks will work today, No filling station, All market should remain closed, that everybody should site at home. All commercial vehicles was also included.
This morning the street of Abuja was scanty, no commerical vehicles, there was burn fire at popular Berger junction (Zone 6) area of Abuja. Federal Secreatariats fully guided by armed police men and police men where seen at every corner of the major roads.
From Minaj Broadxasting International (MBI) monitored from Abuja: The streets of Lagos were deserted, nothing was happening there. Onitsha main market was closed and there was massive support of NLC in Onitsha, Asaba, Nnewi, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan and Enugu. People were phoning in calling the resination of President Obasanjo, Senate president and Lower House Speaker.
Some few hours into the strike, The NLC leader Adams Oshionohole was arrested with seven others of NLC official at NLC office Abuja. The police said that they are charging him of breaking the law that says that he must give 21 days notice before calling for strike, and he does not have teh right to mobilize NLC for strike.
The question is, if the strike is illegal as Federal Govt has said. Is President Obasanjo having the right to increase the fuel price without consulting the National Assembly and the Labour Congress. Is this not another Military rule.
It is only the military that increases fuel price, so we believe that the Govt is an extension of Military reign.
We don't know whether NLC has the resources to sustain teh strike for a long time, but we are watching and giving massive support to NLC programmes.
We are also waiting for the out come of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council that is taking place now in Aso rock.
Notice that Obasanjo is using teargas instead of live rounds. The lives of Yoruba and Awusa people are involved. If we were dealing with protesters in Okigwe, many would already be dead by now.
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What is going on is that the clueless fat man of Aso Rock has been ordered by his Western masters to remove petroleum subsidies. In his characteristic delusion, Obtusanjo believes that this will get his foreign debt forgiven. He is obeying the order, but as is typical for him, he failed to factor domestic realities into his calculations. Just last week, you could not get Senators in Argentina to accept the job of president. We saw three Argentine Presidents come and go in as many weeks, for incompetence far less in magnitude that the absolute failure that is Obtusanjo and his nigerian government.
A long time ago, I suggested that BiafraNigeria should send the IMF packing and direct its international creditors to the Swiss bank accounts of IBB and Abacha, where the creditors should take back the money that they claim they gave to BiafraNigeria. They should take the money and let it pay the so-called foreign debt. The foreign governments should then be rebuked for giving money to people like IBB and Abacha that they themselves described as ruthless dictators. Why should BN accept responsibility for debts incurred by hoodlums who hijacked the country for their selfish interests?
But, Obtusanjo has decided that ordinary BiafraNigerians should be the ones to pay for the money that he, Gowon, Abacha, Shagari, Buhari, IBB, and Abubakar stole. That is what the fuel price hike is all about. Unfortunately, even the labor congress does not understand the problem fully. The problem lies in BiafraNigeria itself. We need to break it up, so that logic can return to the way people do things.
More than two years in office, Obtusanjo has increased the country's debt, not decreased it. His cap-in-hand mendicancy has not gotten BN's debt forgiven by anyone. Yet, he is striving to satisfy IMF conditions so that he may borrow more money to waste on white elephants, including a useless al-Qaeda highway to Algeria. The man needs to resign and stop embarrassing us.
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At the risk of preaching assasination, may I suggest applying Rawlings Principle. After all, Ghana is now a mentor to Biafranigeria in more ways than anyone could have imagined before Rawlings arrival.
Resignation will never be an option for Obusonjo. Do you want him to be the first Biafranigerian dictator to resign? He does not want to be the recipient of that recognition in history books. He would rather waste another generation than resign!
But again, history has a place for him in more chapters than he can imagine! his story will be told. Obusonjo, the last Biafranigeria dictator
___________________ Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom
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Is this not the military in agbada? The different faces of the kaki boys. _________________________________________________________________
Adams Oshiomhole, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was arrested this morning at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja by a detachment of policemen numbering over two hundred. Arrested along with Oshiomhole was Dr. Oladipo Fashina, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The order for Oshiomhole's arrest was reportedly issued by the presidency over labour's decision to call for a strike to protest the 20 per cent increase in prices of petroleum products, announced by the Federal Government on January 1, this year.
The strike called by labour was hugely successful in Lagos and Abuja as most government and private sector workers stayed at home. In Lagos, the usually bustling metropolis of 12 million people looked like a deserted city this morning. The streets were empty as commercial vehicles joined the strike.
As early as 6 a.m. Oshiomhole had arrived the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, in the company of top notchers of NLC and other sympathisers, including ASUU president, Dr. Fashina. On arrival they were giving a rousing welcome by hundreds of placard-carrying workers who had thronged the secretariat.
The workers chanted solidarity songs and repeatedly denounced the increase in prices of petroleum products, decribing it as illegal.
At about 8:45 a.m., about 200 armed policemen stormed the venue of the rally to effect the arrest of Oshiomhole on the orders of the presidency.
Oshiomole, along with Dr. Fashina resisted but were eventually over powered after being brutalized by the policemen. They were immediately taken to the Force Headquarters near Aso Villa.
Before being taken away, Oshiomhole urged the workers to continue with the struggle even if he has was killed.
Abuja city was calm this morning as most Federal Government parastatals remained close as a result of the workers strike.
The Nigeria Labour Congress in Lagos has reacted to the arrest of National president, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole describing the arrest as an attempt to worsen the situation.
Speaking exclusively to P.M.News, Comrade Emmanuel Amadu, the Deputy General Secretary of Lagos NLC, stated that the struggle is not an Adam's war adding that the Federal Government is only pursuing shadows instead of addressing the real issue.
According to him "if they think they can arrest Adam anyhow, they will face the wrought of the masses whom Adam is fighting for".
The NLC leader opined that the arrest of Adam Oshiomhole only show the insensitivity of the Federal Government to the plight of masses who are protesting against the arbitrary and unreasonable fuel price increase.
While assuring that leadership is not about one man, he declared that the strike will continue despite the arrest of the N.L.C. president.
His words: "If Adam is arrested somebody else will take over ."
Comrade Amadu explained that the biggest mistake the Federal Government would ever make is to arrest Adam saying it will only serve to expose the type of people we have in government who are claiming to be a democrats.
Meanwhile the police said 50 persons have so far been arrested. Two police vehicles were also this morning set on fire by the by hood lum in the Ilupeju area of Lagos.
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Is South Africa not better that Biafranigeria now.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Johannesburg) ________________________________________________________________________
The Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns the arrest of Adams Oshiomhole, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), together with the NLC's two Vice Presidents and National Internal Auditor, the President of the bank union, the President of the Public Service Union, the Chairman and Treasurer of the NLC's capital territory council, the Acting General Secretary of the textile union, the President of the academic staff union of the universities, and the secretary of the NLC's state councils of Ogun.
Comrade Oshiomhole was addressing a demonstration outside government offices in Abuja, in support of the general strike called by the NLC in protest at rising fuel prices. Police ordered him to stop speaking and when he refused they used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and moved in to arrest the union leaders. They have not been charged
COSATU demands the immediate release of all those arrested and calls upon the Nigerian government to uphold the right of workers to demonstrate peacefully in support of their fully justified demands.
President Obasanjo must not allow the situation in Nigeria to move back towards dictatorship by attacking fundamental rights. He has a key role to play in taking the continent forward through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which commit all governments to uphold human rights, which include the right to strike, assemble and picket. Nigeria is also a signatory to other international agreements to respect human rights. COSATU demands that Nigeria honours all these commitments.
The federation extends the hand of solidarity to all the workers who have been forced to take general strike action in defence of their living standards and pledges its continuing support to workers struggling to uplift their situation.
Patrick Craven and Moloto Mothapo, Acting COSATU Spokespersons
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