Protests: 4,000 displaced in Benin, 300 injured nationwide —Red Cross

Nigerian Red Cross Society, on Thursday, released a figure stating that 4,000 persons were temporarily displaced in Benin, Edo State and 300 injured nationwide so far as protests against fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government continues.

Nigerian Red Cross Secretary- General, Dr Bello Hamman Diram, disclosed in a statement that Nigerian Red Cross volunteers provided first aid to injured persons, while those seriously wounded were evacuated to nearby hospitals.

Jonathan seeks Senate confirmation of Lamorde as EFCC chairman

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, sent the name of  Mr Ibrahim Lamorde  to the Senate for  confirmation as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Lamorde  was appointed in acting capacity following the sack of the former chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri.

Protests trail curfew in Kaduna despite modification

Despite relaxing the curfew imposed on Kaduna by the state government by four hours, protests still trail the announcement of curfew in the state.

Those who oppose the curfew believe that the action would further embolden the protesters and put the state in a difficult situation.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Kaduna on Thursday, a member of the Save Nigeria Group and former vice presidential candidate, Dr Yunusa Tanko, insisted that people must be allowed to freely express their feelings and participate in the struggle for their rights.

Dr Tanko described the curfew placed on Kaduna as  illegal and an attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)- controlled state to reduce the effect of the demonstration.

He maintained that the demonstrations in  Kaduna had been one of the best organised though the Occupy Nigeria Movement had been on the street for days before the commencement of the labour strike.

According to the former vice presidential candidate, the incident  in which some protesters allegedly attempted to enter the Government House was entirely a security matter that ought to be handled by the police and other security apparatus.

He lamented that instead of averting the invasion, a protester was shot.

Dr Tanko said, “people must be allowed to freely express their feelings and to help themselves in the struggle for their rights

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Petrol sells for more than N300 per litre in Lagos

Four days into the labour-instigated nationwide protests against the removal of petrol subsidy,  fuel now attracts as much as N300 per litre in parts of Lagos, as against the vexed N140 recommended by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The PPPRA announced on January 1 that the subsidy on petrol had been removed, a development that led to the hike in the pump price of petrol from N65 to about N140 per litre, depending on where it is purchased.

Lambatta police station attacked, 212 arrested — AIG

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 7, Alhaji Atiku Kafur, has said that no fewer than 212 suspects have been arrested by the police for their alleged involvement in the Wednesday’s riot in Minna and attempted attack on Lambatta police station in Gawu Babangida Local Government Area of  the state.

Dialogue is panacea for current crisis — Alison-Madueke

MINISTER of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Allison-Madueke, has said that there can be no other way out of the present subsidy impasse other than dialogue between the government and the labour, pointing out that the government is eager to end the suffering of Nigerians.

OPC is not planning to attack Hausa communities in Lagos — Fasheun, Adams

The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) said on Thursday, in Lagos, that people or organisations attempting to create ethnic confrontation between the two bodies would fail.

The declarations by both the OPC and the AYCF were made on the heels of speculations of planned attacks by OPC on Hausa communities in Lagos.

OPC founder, Dr Frederick Fasheun described the speculations as fabrications and dangerous concoctions aimed at creating an unnecessary crisis in the country.

``It is not true. There is no crisis whatsoever between the OPC and any other groups of people in Nigeria,’’ he said.

In his reaction, the National Coordinator of the OPC, Chief Gani Adams, described the speculations as very far from the truth.

Adams, who spoke through his media aide, Mr Sam Sileola, said that there was no reason for such speculations.

``We are aware of the text messages on the planned attacks. We have never planned such a thing,’’ he said.

Sileola said that Adams was currently attending a conference in Ireland.

According to him, OPC members and their leaders have Hausa friends, such as the President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, who is himself, a good friend of Adams.

In a separate interview with NAN, Shettima urged Nigerians of northern extract, who are resident in Lagos, not to fall for the blackmail

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IG threatens to arrest violent protesters

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Hafiz Ringim,  has  threatened  to arrest any person, who makes bonfires on roads, attack pedestrians or blocks roads.
He stated this on Thursday, in Lagos, through Deputy Inspector General  of Police (DIG) in charge of  Administration, Azubuiko Udah.

 Ringim also used the occasion  to  applaud the conduct of   policemen in Lagos State since the commencement of the nationwide strike.

DIG Udah stated that the  police had, in the last few days, turned blind eye  to the activities of  hoodlums who were not members of the labour unions.

Udah spoke at the police headquarters, Zone II, Onikan, Lagos, after an emergency indoor meeting held with all the commissioners of police in the state to review and appraise performances of the police since the commencement of the strike.

He noted that  that bonfires damaged roads, which were among the government facilities, and that hoodlums  were constituting  nuisance to law-abiding citizens
 The DIG  said: “We have no problem with NLC and TUC. They are peaceful. Our duty is to hold forth until things normalise. We have to make sure that all hands are on deck. This is a challenging period for the police.”

He also added that “in the South-West geopolitical zone, things had gone well.

“This is not the time to start attacking people. But we want people to follow due process in everything they do. We don’t want people to take the law into their own hands.

“We call on NLC, TUC to call these people to order. We won’t tolerant again what happened at the Lagos-Ibadan-Mowe-Ibafo road, where people embarked on making bonfires using petrol, creating an atmosphere of anarchy,”  the police chief also stated

“If anybody does this again, we’ll arrest them! They’re not part of NLC and TUC. These people are there to create mayhem.  We warn parents to hold their wards, so these youths don’t go to commit crime.”

“We want to praise the activities of the police in Lagos since the strike. I was in Lagos when the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) shooting happened. Appropriate actions are being taken on the matter,” the police chief stated.

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Lagos: Commercial activities paralysed as strike continues

Businesses and social activities remained paralysed in Lagos as the ongoing strike entered its fourth day on Thursday.

Meanwhile, drivers, artisans and other petty traders have, however, called on the Federal Government to find a common ground with the organisers of protests to enable them to go about their daily businesses.

While lamenting the dearth of disposable fund, some of them said that it had been very difficult for them to open shops to customers since the commencement of the strike.

From all indication the strike is affecting  some bank customers, as they decried failure of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to dispense cash.

Mr Femi Oladipo, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, explained that the fuel subsidy removal had negatively affected his livelihood, just as he said his business of transportation was no more yielding the expected income that could care for his family.

According to him, “for the past four days, it was like passing through hell. On Tuesday evening, after the protest, I tried if I could quickly work with my bus. Surprisingly, from Sango to Agege, I could only make N700 and from Agege back to Sango, a little above N800.There were no passengers outside.”

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Nigerian union orders oil shutdown from Sunday

 Nigeria's main oil union said on Thursday it would shut down output from Africa's biggest oil producer on Sunday if the government did not reverse its decision to remove popular fuel subsidies.

Tens of thousands of Nigerians have been protesting up and down Africa's most populous nation for four straight days in response to the axing of the petrol subsidy, which more than doubled the price to around 150 naira ($0.93) per litre.

"PENGASSAN shall be forced to go ahead and apply the bitter option of ordering the systematic shutting down of oil and gas production with effect from ... 0000 hours of Sunday January 15 (2300 GMT on Saturday January 14), if the federal government of Nigeria fails to yield to the popular agitation of Nigerians on her unacceptable approach to fuel subsidy removal," the oil union said in a statement.

President Goodluck Jonathan entered a meeting with labour unions in the presidential villa on Thursday, in an effort to reach an agreement to end the strike.

Industry officials doubted unions would be able to stop crude exports completely because much of production is automated and Nigeria has crude stored in reserves, but even a minor outage could have a significant impact on the economy.

Worries over Nigerian oil supplies have pushed up global oil prices.

Nigeria produces more than 2 million barrels of crude oil per day and is a key supplier to United States, Europe and Asia. Crude exports provide Africa's second-largest economy with over 90 percent of foreign exchange revenues.

"If there is any disruption to oil production it would be a serious escalation and the government would be likely to use legal or enforcement means to stop it," said Kayode Akindele, partner at Lagos-based investment firm 46 Parallels.

Container shipping group Maersk Line said it was unable to bring its vessels carrying consumer goods and foodstuffs into Nigeria's ports as a fourth day of nationwide strikes brought terminals to a standstill.

PROTESTS

Protests were ongoing in cities everywhere from the commercial centre Lagos in the south to the remote and restive city of Maiduguri in the far northeast.

In Lagos, tens of thousands gathered in Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, where women selling drinks and Afrobeat music pumping out of loud speakers gave the protest a carnival atmosphere. Many chanted anti-government slogans.

A group of demonstrators beat drums and slapped an effigy of Jonathan across the face with leafy branches.

"Our leaders have betrayed us too many times and this is the last time. They only care about themselves, not the common people," said Olu Shittu, 30, a student, expressing a widely held view that Nigeria's elite are too busy lining their own pockets to be moved by the plight of the poor.

"We're staying here until they put the subsidy back."

President Jonathan has shown no sign of backing down on his government's decision to scrap a subsidy economists say was wasteful and corrupt, but that could change in the current meeting, as pressure mounts on him to yield to public opinion.

"I am positive something concrete will come from discussions ... they will not be held in vain," Reuben Abati, presidential spokesman, told Reuters at the presidential villa in Abuja earlier in the day.

Publicly unions have said they will only stop strikes if the government returns petrol prices to the pre-subsidy removal rate of 65 naira and the government has said it will not reverse its decision to scrap subsidies from January 1.

The national assembly has already urged the government and unions to back down but without success.

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Noncompliance Of Court Order Stalls Hearing Of FG Suit Against NLC, TUC

The failure of counsel to the Federal Government to comply with conditions of a court order on Thursday stalled the hearing of a motion on notice filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). 

Mr Mohammed Adoke, the Minister of Justice, on behalf of the Federal Government, approached the National Industrial Court asking it to grant an injunction stopping the NLC and TUC from embarking on strike.

It will be recalled that the court granted the order to stop the NLC and TUC from embarking on strike or compelling anybody to go on strike over the removal of oil subsidy.

The court also restrained labour from inciting the public to embark on strikes, street protests, mass rallies or any action that would be inimical to the economy of the country pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The order was procured on Friday, Jan. 6, via an ex-parte motion by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

In his ruling, Justice Babatunde Adejumo held: ``I have gone through the motion papers and affidavit in support of the ex-parte application, as well as the written address and listened to oral submissions of counsel to the applicant.

“Section 7 (1) (b) of the NIC (2006], which is similar to section 254 (1) (6) of the constitution empowered this court to adjudicate over the subject matter of the ex-parte motion.

“Section 19 (a) of NIC permits the court to make orders for grant of interim reliefs.’’
 
Adejumo also said, ``Going through the records, l discovered that the AGF's office failed to comply with the order to publish the court injunction in three national dailies.

“I have gone through my records and discovered that you have not fully complied with the order to publish the injunction in ThisDay, Punch and Guardian Newspapers.

“You asked for the order of the court and it was granted. You should have complied with the order. In view of this, the matter is not ripe for hearing.”

Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), counsel to the Federal Government, conceded that the applicant had not fully carried out the court order, and prayed for an adjournment to Monday, Jan. 16.

Adejumo granted leave to the AGF's counsel to publish the order of the court and hearing notices in Daily Trust or Leadership Newspaper.

He adjourned hearing of the suit to Monday, Jan. 16.

Meanwhile, Justice Adejumo has warned journalists not to expose the judiciary to public ridicule.

He gave the warning after reading a publication in a national newspaper on Saturday, Jan. 7 describing the court order of Jan. 6 restraining the NLC and TUC from embarking on the strike as “a black market injunction”.

“You must practice the profession with decorum and best international practice. I will not allow you to expose the judiciary to ridicule.”

He, therefore, ordered the Editor and Reporter of the newspaper, as well as an Abuja-based lawyer quoted by the newspaper, newspapertowyer asto appear before the court on Jan. 16 to explain their roles in the said publication.

Meanwhile, neither the NLC nor TUC was represented in court.

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Maersk says unable to ship goods into Nigeria ports

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Container group Maersk Line's ships carrying food and consumer goods are stuck outside Nigeria's ports as a fourth day of nationwide strikes have brought terminals to a standstill, a senior company official said on Thursday.

Nigerians have taken to the streets across the country to protest against the government's decision to remove popular fuel subsidies, which more than doubled the price of petrol, shutting banks, shops and schools.

Sonny Dahl, director, West Africa Services at Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipping company, said its container ships were unable to enter Nigeria's ports.

"Everything is at a standstill - there are no operations going on and everything is at a general strike level," Dahl told Reuters.

Container ships normally bring in much of Nigeria's consumer goods and also transport foodstuffs.

Dahl said eight of the company's container ships were affected by disruptions at ports across the country.

"They are carrying consumer goods of various kinds and foodstuffs," he said.

He said some of the vessels were already anchored outside ports, while others would arrive in one to two days.

"We are consistently evaluating whether we should divert any of them to other ports (outside of Nigeria)," he said.

"For now, we have made a plan until early next week that we wait outside. It's anyone's guess when the strike will end."

Maersk Line, a unit of Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, said the Nigerian market represented 60 percent of its container ship imports into West Africa.

Nigeria's main oil union said on Thursday it would aim to shut down the country's oil and gas production from Sunday.

Oil industry officials doubted unions would be able to stop crude exports completely, but even a minor outage could have a significant impact on the economy.

Shipping sources told Reuters offshore oil terminals were operating as normal on Thursday.

Africa's largest oil producer relies on crude exports for more than 90 percent of its foreign exchange earnings.

"We expect a potential strike in Nigeria and stop for crude oil exports to have an overall negative effect on crude oil transportation - possibly mitigated somewhat by increased export from other producers," said Klaus Rud Sejling, chief commercial officer with Maersk's oil tanker division.

"However, we do not expect the effects to be long lasting."

Sejling said Maersk Tankers did not have any of its vessels in Nigeria at the moment and none were on the way. 

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NLC MEETING END IN DEADLOCK

The meeting between the Organised Labour and the Federal Government has ended in a deadlock.

Labour says the strike continues tomorrow across the country as compromise is being made but no agreement has been reached yet as negotiations continue on Saturday,14th of January.

The meeting initially began between the President and the Governors,with labour joining later.

Earlier yesterday, the Federal Government and Organised Labour met behind closed doors in Abuja Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory in a bid to fashion out a solution. 

Prior to the closed door meeting, the Chairman of the House ADHOC Committee, Patrick Ikhariale appealed to both teams to see the meeting as an opportunity to make the best decision for Nigeria.

The Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Ayim Pius Ayim also asked Labour to call off the strike as negotiation can only go on in a peaceful atmosphere. 

The Minister of Labour; Mr Emeka Wogu also appealed to the Labour Union and Civil Society Organisations to call of the strike. 



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Police: 2 protesters wounded in police altercation in Nigeria on 4th day of fuel protests

Police in northern Nigeria say they are investigating the alleged police shooting of two people participating in nationwide protests over gas prices.

Kano state police spokesman Magaji Musa Majiya said the men were wounded Thursday on their way to a demonstration in Nigeria’s second-largest city of Kano.

He says they were part of a large crowd that passed through a largely Christian community amid rising religious tensions in the mostly Muslim state.

He says one man was wounded in the buttocks; the other, in the leg.

Tens of thousands have protested across the country daily since a national strike started Monday over the government’s removal of a long-cherished subsidy that kept gasoline cheap in the oil-producing nation. Protests have left at least 11 people dead and dozens injured.






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