Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Ex-governors lead petrol subsidy protests in Kaduna
Kaduna grinded to a halt on Monday as thousands of people joined labour leaders and civil society groups to protest the removal of subsidy on petrol by the government, demanding the immediate resignation of President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy, Arch Mohammed Namadi Sambo.
Two former governors of the state, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa and Col.Hameed Ali joined civil rights activist, Shehu Sani, President of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria, Tajudeen Oladoja, members of the Kaduna branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, the Nigeria Union of Journalists among others to march on the streets of Kaduna with full police escorts.
However, around mid-day, palpable tension started building up around the Sir Kashim Ibrahim house (Government House) as some protesters defiled the directive of the Nigeria Labour Congress to return to their house and prepare for the second day of the protest, insisting on entering the government house.
Anti riot police men and other security operatives at the government house were said to have fired tear gas to disperse them, but they soon returned and refused to listen the plea by the NLC leaders to leave the place.
From the NLC secretariat to the Lugard Hall roundabout which has been renamed Unity and Freedom Square by the protesters, the police led the protesters which continued to grow every second.
The protesters carried placards with the inscriptions - “Ebele Haram; Jonathan Haram, Back luck Jonathan, “Jonathan is worse than Boko Haram,” “Jonathan is the leader of Boko Haram, fuel subsidy must be reversed”.
Others read “give us better education and health, “Jonathan and Sambo must go,” “Boko Haram kills in hundreds, but Jonathan kills in millions and bamaso, bamaso (meaning we don’t want).”
They matched peacefully through independent way to the state House of Assembly leading to the Lugard Hall roundabout and were joined by others who came in their number from Kawo, Rigassa, Tudun Wada and other parts of the metropolis.
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OBJ calls for religious harmony
Nigerians have been admonished to learn to live together in peace, devoid of any religious acrimony, no matter the level of their grievances.
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, said this in Yola, on Monday, while addressing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful at the grand finale campaign of Governor Murtala Nyako seeking re-election in the Saturday governorship election.
He said since both religions preach peace, and by the strict adherences to the tenets of both religions, he suggested a situation whereby Muslims would form a guard at churches when Christians were worshiping, while Christians too formed the guard at mosques while Muslims were worshiping.
Chief Obasanjo said he had every reason to be grateful to God, because the candidate he sold to the people five years ago, in the person of Governor Murtala Nyako, had performed creditably well to deserve a second term in office.
Obasanjo also condemned the killings last weekend in the state, stating that Adamawa was noted for peace, wondering why disgruntled, wicked and “heartless persons would shed the blood of the innocent.”
He urged the people of the state not to attempt to change the present governor of the state, saying “there is no value in changing a winning horse in a race. Here we have a horse asking for mandate to carry on to do even better than before.”
Also, speaking at the event, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar assured that from that day to Saturday, “we shall do everything possible that PDP wins the election, because everybody is now a full member of the PDP, as there are no more fringe members but solid members of the PDP.”
He said the commitment was multi-party , saying all the political parties in the state would all vote Nyako.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, charged the people of the state to come out on Saturday and vote the PDP. He later presented the party’s flag to Governor Nyako and formally presented him to the people of the state as the party’s standard-bearer on Saturday election.
The grand finale campaign rally had in attendance, Governor Dambaba Suntai, top members of the PDP in the like of the incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourale Aminu Tambunal and his deputy, Alhaji Kawu Daraje, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Professor Rufai Alkali, and former speaker, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’abba, among others
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Two Protesters Killed in Lagos
A team of policemen in Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) patrol van yesterday in Lagos shot and killed two persons, and wounded three others who were playing street football on Yaya Abatan Street at Ogba.
The deceased simply identified as Demola was said to be gearing up to play football match alongside other friends on Yaya Abatan street in Ogba area of Lagos state when the police DPO identified as Segun allegedly opened fire on him.
The other three affected persons are Idara, Samuel Ebujoi and Abubakiri Alimi. They were first taken to Ifako-General hospital, Ifako-Agege. But the critical state of the victims, all of whom were shot on their legs and arms were referred to another hospital, County Hospital, Ogba.
Witnesses said the RRS squad attempted to disperse the young teenagers who had gathered at the junction of their street to show their support for the labour strike action. They fired shots in the air and on the ground and in the process, stray bullets hit Demola and four bystanders, killing Demola instantly.
Abubakiri Alimi died shortly after he was admitted for treatment at County hospital, about 60 metres away from the playing ground.
"We were just standing by, waiting to participate in the football match going on when a police patrol van from Area "G" police station stormed the area. The DPO, whom we were able to identify as Segun was the one that led the shooting as I talk to you, one of the five of us shot, Demola has been confirmed dead," Ebujoi said.
At Area "G" Police station, hundreds of angry youth protesters were chanting war songs as they pushed Demola's body in a cart to the gate of the police station. The corpse was stripped of his cloth while his lifeless body showed that he was actually shot at the thigh.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim has ordered the immediate dismissal of a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) attached to the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly killing a protester at Ogba area of Ikeja.
The CSP who was identified as the DPO in charge of Pen Cinema Police Division, Mr. Segun Olubumi, allegedly fired at some protesters at Ogba, killing one of them in the process while the second victim died at the County Hospital where he was receiving treatment.
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Eminent political leaders intervene in national crisis
Amidst general mass action in the country against the removal of fuel subsidy as well as the worsening security situation in Nigeria, the National Consensus Group of Progressive Political Leaders has announced its decision to convene an emergency national summit on the state of the nation in collaboration with the National Summit Group led by Professor Pat Utomi
At a crucial parley hosted by Dr Tunji Braithwaite on Monday in Lagos, the leaders of the group endorsed the proposed national summit as a strategic means of urgently intervening in the crisis currently rocking the country before it degenerated into a full blown civil war between northern and southern Nigeria
The leaders, who met behind closed doors for two hours before admitting journalists into the venue said “the insurgency of the Boko Haram bombers as well as the unilateral hike in the price of fuel by government by over 120 per cent has exacerbated the instability in the country, compelling the immediate convocation of Nigeria’s peoples’ Conference to renegotiate Nigeria’s corporate existence and it governance structure.”
Addressing the gathering, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu and Professor Pat Utomi, all expressed optimism that the summit slated for next week in Lagos, would help to articulate and give direction to the aspirations of the Nigerian people.
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Bayelsans shun oil subsidy removal protest
Against the back-drop of mass action staged on Monday, by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress [TUC] and other industrial unions to kick against the removal of the oil subsidy nationwide, Bayelsans shunned entreaties by the civil society group to participate in the street protest.
Normal business activities resumed on Monday on the streets of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State as everybody went about their socio-economic activities, with private and commercial vehicles plying the streets, while markets opened for sales, ignoring the call to boycott the stay at home order.
Investigation conducted by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that leaders of the civil society groups, including the Civil Liberty Organisation [CLO], NLC and rights activists were disappointed as residents chose to stay at home instead of coming out in solidarity to participate in the nationwide protest aimed at denouncing the oil subsidy removal.
Some of the filling stations visited by our correspondent were busy selling fuel to cars and motorcycles at the rate of N140 or N145 per litre.
As a result of the development, civil society groups and their leaders, who had converged on Opolo, the take off point, in Yenagoa, as early as 7.00am had to relocate to the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists [NUJ], Bayelsa State chapter, on Ekeki, where they addressed a press conference, calling on the Federal Government to revert to the N65 per litre pump price of petrol.
Addressing the newsmen over issue, on behalf of the civil society groups, the Vice Chairman of CLO in Bayelsa State, Mr Williams-Odonmini Flint, decried the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the oil subsidy, without considering its implications on the common man, in terms of arbitrary increase in the prices of goods and commodity.
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Catholic bishop leads protest in Ekiti
The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti, Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye, donned the cassock to lead anti-subsidy removal protest in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, yesterday.
The Bishop marched with protesters who took off from Ajilosun through Okeyinmi and Ojumoshe, and stopped at Fajuyi Park.
He and a coalition of labour/civil groups addressed protesters.
The protest was peaceful, although there were bonfires on Fajuyi-Adebayo Road and Danimo-StadiumRoad, where some youths converted the roads to football fields.
Ajakaye said President Goodluck Jonathan was running a government of deceit.
He said: “We expected Mr President to react briskly to the security challenges in the nation, the same way he quickly removed the oil subsidy and we urge him to use the money being used to finance pro-subsidy campaign to transform Nigeria.
“I am a Nigerian and I am interested in the Nigerian project. I can’t fold my arms because I am a Bishop and allow my people to suffer.
“We need to be visionaries and pursue causes that would not make Nigeria fall apart
“The power of the people is mightier than any government. It is sad that our leaders don’t have listening ears. President Jonathan said he did not have shoes and he is trying to take our pairs of slippers off our legs.
“As much as I support that there should be no war in our dear nation, this policy is worse than a civil war, but with one voice we shall surely overcome.”
Also, State chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) Ayodele Aluko and Kolawole Olaiya and leaders of other civil society groups and trade unions addressed the gathering.
Others who spoke included Mrs Aduke Seriki (Council of Iya Lojas), Dr Ayan Adeleke, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Tope Agunbiade (Save Nigeria Group/Campaign for Democracy), Dr Wole Ogundipe (Nigeria Medical Association) and Adeolu Oyebode (students’ representative).
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