The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday warned President Goodluck Jonathan not to treat as a joke, its threat to proceed on a prolonged massive strike with effect from Monday.
The labour movement said in Abuja that it would not compromise on its decision to call out Nigerian workers on a massive protest that would disrupt the country in a way that has never been done by previous protests.
And as if making good its threat, the rank of protests against the Federal Government continues to swell in the face of New Year’s day removal of fuel subsidy, even as the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday declared support for the planned nationwide strike of NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Also yesterday, banking halls across Lagos were filled with many customers rushing to make last-minute withdrawals in response to the labour directive to stockpile food items.
A number of banks visited showed long queues of people wanting to make withdrawals with their automated teller machine (ATM) cards while the banking halls were also filled with customers wanting to make various transactions.
LEADERSHIP checks on the banks in the morning show a steady flow of customers wanting to withdraw money. But a return visit later in the afternoon? showed even an overwhelming increase in the number of people that have joined the already long queues with the intention of withdrawing money.
A bank customer who identified himself as Kelani Ajose said he decided to conclude all his transactions with the bank as quickly as possible so that he would not be cut-off by the strike action on Monday.
“There is a facility that I want from my bank which I have been pursuing since last year. I decided to conclude it as soon as possible before the strike commences next week.”
Other customers who spoke with LEADERSHIP said they were mindful of the cash withdrawal limit hence, the need to use the ATM cards today so that tomorrow (Friday), they would be eligible for more withdrawals.
“Labour has said strike will begin on Monday, so it is only reasonable to be prepared,” said a customer of First Bank, Balogun, Ikeja branch.
And heeding labour’s clarion call, the NBA has directed all lawyers in the country to participate in the nationwide strike by withdrawing their services from courts, as well as other forms of legal services except such services that would pile more pressure on the Federal Government to reverse its decision on fuel subsidy.
In a press statement signed by the NBA president, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN), the Bar called on the National Assembly to seriously consider impeachment proceedings against President Jonathan who has now lost the confidence of Nigerians to continue to rule or lead them.
Daudu said: “Where and if government persists on this suicidal course of action, the options open to the people are limited but clear. Firstly, Nigerians should call on the National Assembly to officially and formally declare its position on the removal of fuel subsidy.
“If as we believe the National Assembly sides with the people, then it must in the same transaction call on the President to rescind or reverse its actions on subsidy removal.
“Should their call not be heeded by the president, then the National Assembly should seriously consider impeachment proceedings; the president having lost the confidence of Nigerians to continue to rule or lead them.
“If the Legislators fail to take the desired actions then Nigerians will commence the constitutional process to recall them.”
The NLC yesterday asked the government to wake up to the reality that Nigerians are resolved to resist its punitive policies and determined to reclaim their country from those who are intent in bringing it down.
It described as untrue, stories “planted” on the internet that its leadership was meeting with some government officials on the issue of increase in fuel prices.
“We restate categorically that the Labour Movement has no intention to hold any discussion with the Federal Government or any of its officials on the issue of increases in petrol prices until the price is reverted to N65 per litre to allow for a level playing field.
NLC acting General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa in a statement also denied being sponsored by oil marketers on the planned nationwide strike.
Stressing that the leadership of the union has no time for frivolous, unsustainable and unproductive ‘dialogue’ with the Presidency or any of its Dialogue Committees, Lakemfa, noted as absolute falsehood, the reports that labour leaders were discussing with the Presidency, but rather stated that labour was busy mobilising for the indefinite strike action and mass protests which commence from Monday, January 9, 2012.
Some lawyers in Lagos, meanwhile, have already started the protests even ahead of the organised labour in the struggle.
Yesterday, members of the Ikeja Branch of the Lagos State Chapter of the NBA engaged in a march to protest the policy of the Goodluck Jonathan-led government.
The lawyers began their march from the premises of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja and moved through Obafemi Awolowo Way to the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex and the Governor’s office Complex at Alausa.
As they marched, the legal practitioners sang protest songs and wielded a banner and placards showing their disenchantment with the Federal Government. Some of the messages read: “Jonathan, when there was oil subsidy, you had no shoes, with no subsidy you want to cut off your feet,” “Oh this increment will kill us all.”
Traffic along the Obafemi Awolowo Way and Allen Junction was impeded during the march to the Government House at Alausa.
In arelated development, investigations have revealed that aviation airlines are beginning to reschedule their flight operations, following labours threat to shut down the airports.
The three unions – Air Transport Services? Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees( NUATE), and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), in a statement issued by Olayinka Abioye, deputy general secretary, for ATSSSAN, and Abdulkareem Motajo, acting general secretary of NUATE, and Umoh Ofonime for NAAPE, respectively? explained that there is no going back on the commencement of the strike. They therefore urged all aviation workers and passengers to close down their operations or reschedule same.
The Aviation Unions in their circular said, “By this circular, all our formations are directed to close down operations at 00.00hours Sunday.”
LEADERSHIP observed low passengers turn out at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, as most airlines cancelled their flights on the South-East routes, especially flights scheduled for Enugu and Owerri, as well as Benin City and Warri in the South-South region; although on the excuse bordering on bad weather.
The available passengers remained stranded at the airports, as airlines, it was said, were not allowed to operate flights when the weather is not safe for flights.
Labour however, fearing government was striving to divide its rank, has denied an allegation that some marketers were funding the protests. Owei Lkemfa, while denying this, said such stories are desperate move by the Presidency to disrupt the mass protest.
“These reports which are planted in the media by the Presidency are some of the desperate ploy to divert attention from the mass protests.
On the importation of? 1,600 buses to cushion the effects of the hike in the price of petrol, Lakemfa said government was telling lies because the buses in question were being imported by TUC.
Doing a quick arithmetic, he said the announcement was laughable because if divided by the 774 local governments in the country, it amounts to two buses per local government.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan will today hold a meeting with governors of the 36 states of the federation to discuss issues bordering on the opposition and criticisms that have continued to trail the removal of fuel subsidy.
LEADERSHIP gathered that top on the list of the meeting which is billed to commence at about 8am at the Presidential Villa in Abuja is a strategy to key the governors into some sustainable palliatives which he has introduced to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
The NLC Acting General secretary also said yesterday, that all schools in the country would be grounded from Monday, January 9, 2012.
Lakemfa, who advised parents to ensure their children stay away from schools as no teacher will be seen at the various school premises, explained the need to put resumption of classes on hold.
He said, it was in a bid to protect the lives of pupils and teachers from uncertainties that may arise.
Schools are expected to resume on Monday, but different school proprietors informed LEADERSHIP that they are putting resumption on hold so that they do not expose the lives of their students and workers to risk as the NLC has threatened that the strike action will be accompanied by mass protest nationwide.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP on phone, the proprietress of a high brow primary and secondary school? in Abuja who did not want her name in print said, “We are yet to receive a circular from the school proprietors’ body concerning the strike even though by tomorrow, we will know, but for now, I can assure you that we are on strike because we are not operating in isolation. Besides, we are dealing with children and would not want to endanger the life of any of our pupils and students.”
Efforts to get comments from the Ministry of Education were unsuccessful as the Minister of State for Education, Barr. Ezenwo Wike was unavailable.
The NBA while explaining its decision to tag along with Labour’s decision said, since December 19, 2011 at a press conference held in Kaduna, it cautioned against the removal of subsidy among other issues. The Association said it gave reasons why the proposed subsidy removal was premature and thus advised government to adopt a different strategy on the matter.
“Government appears adamant in the quest to remove this subsidy. The people are equally resolved in its opposition to the removal of subsidy. Nigeria is up for rough times ahead. The time has come for a final determination whether those in government derive their power from the people or whether they are independent and owe their stay in power to other entities other than the people. We foresee a victory and liberation for the people of Nigeria, while those pushing for deregulation in the present form will depart with more than a bloody nose.”
NBA further stated that, “No government can outlast the will of the people. It is clear that Nigerians do not and will not tolerate subsidy removal under the terms and conditions set out or lay down by government. Any removal of subsidy based on the importation of petroleum products is unacceptable to Nigerians. Government must create the infrastructure for the refining 100 percent of petroleum products in Nigeria and by Nigerians. It had been done in the past, it was sabotaged, and it can and will be done again.”
The NBA noted that the claim of government that there is no alternative to the removal of subsidy was untenable because there are many alternatives.
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has equally asked port operators and all those who have business to conduct at the ports to do so before Sunday, January 8.
The union stated that ports will be shut down from Monday in line with the Labour directives.
MWUN in a statement by its President-General, Comrade Nted Anthony Emmanuel, said until a counter directive was received, all the nation’s ports would be closed from Monday. He warned that Labour would not tolerate any sabotage.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has also towed the direction of NLC, TUC, and other organised labour affiliates.
PENGASSAN has ordered its members to down tool on Monday as directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos on the full support of the oil workers to the declared mass action, PENGASSAN’s President, Comrade Babatunde Ogun said, “We have directed our members to down tools from Monday, to fully support the indefinite strike declared by the leadership of organised labour in the country. We have made our positions known to the government on the fuel subsidy removal issue and since the government refused to listen to the voice of reasons, we have no choice than to downtools from Monday.”
Meanwhile,? the Federal Government? has filed an application for interlocutory injuction? before the? National Industrial Court (NIC), asking it to restrain? labour unions against their planned nationwide strike to protest removal of subsidy on Monday.
A reliable source in Labour House told LEADERSHIP that government is using every means to stop the protest against the arbitrary removal of subsidy. He said: “Federal Government is planning to invite us for a meeting to serve us with an injunction? to thwart our collective struggle, but Labour has come a long way in the struggle and knows all these tricks. And we are determined in this fight”.