Press Statement WE SALUTE NIGERIANS!

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Civil Society Organisations commend workers and the Nigerian people for their overwhelming support and commitment to the fight against the sudden astronomical increase in the price of petrol.  The general strike and mass protests today was very successful, with a large number of Nigerians coming out to show their feelings against the insensitivity and callousness of the Federal Government in increasing petrol prices from N65 per litre to N141 and N250. However, we are sad that despite the resolve of workers and the Nigerian people to keep the protest peaceful, the Federal Government unleashed its security machinery against the people. As a result, some Nigerians were reportedly injured and killed in cold blood in Kano and Lagos. This mindless killing of unarmed Nigerians on a peaceful protest is strongly condemned, and the Inspector General of Police and President Jonathan will be held responsible for these senseless deaths. We have started the process with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to bring these culprits to book. We call on workers and the Nigerian people to continue to participate actively everyday in the general strike and mass protests all over the country to ensure that the price of Petrol is brought back to N65 per litre. Stand up to be counted!    Chris Uyot Head of Information, NLC

Mass Protest.

The Nationwide strike in Abuja...

The turn out was very strong and the mass protest effectively carried out with  no injury or destruction to property or lives in the heart of the F.C.T. Some key dignitaries were in attendance, The area father, Charlie Boy, was also there, some of the Legislators were there to support us.

The Protest at Gwagwalada, was reported to take another dimension as the some of the buses that stubbornly insist on embarking on inter-state journey were disrupted from continuing their journey.

NLC and TUC REACTS TO THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE HOUSE OF REPS ON FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL

8^th January, 2012

Press Statement

HOUSE MOTION IS THE SOLUTION TO THE FUEL PRICE INCREASE CRISES

The Labour Movement and its allies highly commend the Federal House of Representatives for its patriotic motion demanding that the Jonathan administration immediately suspends the astronomical increasing in the price of PMS (petrol).

This motion if adopted by the Executive will immediately douse the explosive tension in the country and restore it to its pre-January 1, 2012 normalcy.

We commend the House and its exemplary leadership for rising to the demands of the times, and in a bipartisan manner, seeking to steer the country away from a path that may have disastrous consequences.

The House of Representatives displayed exemplary leadership in not just cutting short its break, but also meeting on a Sunday.  If other arms of governance work with the exemplary speed, seriousness, sensitivity and patriotic zeal as the House of Representatives did today; our country would be a far better place to live.

The Labour Movement calls on the Senate to also rise up to the expectations of Nigerians by concurring with the House motion. 

We hope and pray that President Goodluck Jonathan will listen to the loud voice of the Nigerian people which this motion has further ventilated by immediately suspending the fuel price hikes and allowing dialogue and consultation on the issue of fuel subsidy removal.

The Strikes and Protests Must  go on

The Labour Movement reiterates that the indefinite strikes, rallies and mass protests will commence across the country tomorrow Monday 9^th January 2012.  We ask Nigerians to disregard the disinformation by the Jonathan administration and its surrogates claiming that Labour has had a rethink on the strike.

We reiterate that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental one which no institution or force can abridge.

The Labour Movement commends Nigerians in the diaspora for their support and continued protests. We also commend the Nigerians in the United States who plan to protest tomorrow morning against the fuel price hikes in front of the World Bank headquarters in Washington.  The Breton Wood Institutions which include the IMF and the World Bank will not be allowed to dictate anti-people policies such as fuel subsidy removal to the Nigerians.

 

Owei Lakemfa                                          John Kolawole                                                                                     

NLC Acting General Secretary                  TUC Secretary General

Labour/Civil Society - TAKE OFF POINT FOR MASS PROTEST IN ABUJA

ANNOUNCEMENT ABUJA RESIDENTS! THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC), TRADE UNION CONGRESS (TUC) AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS INFORMS THE PUBLIC THAT BERGER ROUNDABOUT IS THE MEETING POINT FOR THE ANTI-FUEL PRICE INCREASE MASS PROTESTS EVERYDAY AT 8AM FROM MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2012. BE THERE AT BERGER ROUNDABOUT! Signed: Labour/Civil Society Coalition

Press Statement PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S BROADCAST DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUES

7^th January, 2012

  

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) listened to President Goodluck Jonathan’s broadcast to the nation  tonight.

The speech is undoubtedly due to the resistance of Nigerians to the unreasonable increase in PMS (petrol) prices and the planned national strikes scheduled to begin on Monday January 9, 2012.  So the Presiden having to address Nigerians, is the first gain of the planned protests.

But the President’s address follows the pattern of other documents (like the SURE Programme) by his administration; long in rhetorics and short on basic issues.  For instance, the major anchor of the broadcast is that salaries of political office holders are to be cut by 25 per cent.  But he failed to tell us how much this will amount to. Is this a mere symbolic gesture or a fundamental contribution to economic recovery?

He also talked about his administration holding meetings with transporters to reduce fares.  We see this as a populist statement that has no foundation in reality.  If a transporter who used to buy petrol at N65 per litre now buys it between N141 and N220, what appeal can be made to him not to increase his fares by a high percentage?  How do you “deregulate” the economy and hope to regulate transport fares by private operators?

In any case, transport fare is just one of the items that shot up. Prices of basic commodities like food have also increased, and there is a fuel price hike-engineered hyper inflation in the country.

The President should have reversed the price of PMS to N65 which would have automatically reduced rising tension in the country.

The President also promised the completion   of rail lines and infusion of buses in to the transport system.  It is like putting the chart before the horse; these measures should have been put in place before the astronomical increase in petrol price.

We reiterate that Nigerians cannot afford the high fuel prices and will not accept the hyper inflation this misguided policy has created.

President Jonathan lost a great opportunity in his broadcast by sticking to his guns; that the unreasonable increase in fuel prices will remain.

The Labour Movement and its allies on behalf of the Nigerian populace reiterate that the broadcast has changed nothing and that the indefinite strikes, rallies and mass protests scheduled to commence nationwide on Monday 9^thJanuary, 2012 will go on.

The will of the Nigerian people must prevail over that of any government in power.

Owei Lakemfa                                                        John Kolawole

NLC Acting General Secretary                             TUC Secretary  General

WHAT A WORLD!

"THOSE THE GODS WANTS TO DESTROY, THEY FIRST MAKE MAD"...WOLE SOYINKA.

Nigeria is a funny country and Nigerians are the most funniest people.

Some people feel that they can eat their cake and have it whole and back. But that is just not possible.

Nigerian people are no more "sidon dey look" and inactive anymore we have waken up from our slumbers and are watching. Those that did the right thing will be rewarded not just in heaven but here on earth also and those that didn't perform will be discarded. Those that stood on the platform of the people and also stood for the people would be supported by the people, but the ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE WILL PAY AND EVEN WITH THEIR LIVES.

The Edo state governor, that all through his tenure as the President of the NLC had stood for the people and fought against oil pump increase. And that alone won him the popularity he enjoys now. He was the people's man and also the people's governor. And the people stood and fought for him when he was cheated out of his right by the PDP. The PDP which he now supports.

But this same people's man and governor has turned his back on those who made him who and what he is today, by siding up with the anti-people party PDP. He now claimed that NLC, the platform that he used massively to fight the Federal Government of Nigeria, wants to destroy Nigeria by declaring Nationwide strike and protest, of which he was the master. Just like all anti-people leaders, he had just signed away the love, respect, worship and strength of the people.He had forgotten that he still has an election in front of him and that he will want the people to come out and cast their votes for him. This will be very much impossible. His love party, PDP will effectively rig the election just like they did the first time and no-one will even blink an eye at his direction.

After PDP would have effectively dealt with him, they would discard him, just like a waste bin is discarded off.

If you are reading these, Comrade Governor, know that you are now a disappointment to your people all over the Nation that once sang your praise.

If the people of Edo state had not started yet, they will stone you, abuse you and even curse the ground you passed through.

Press Statement NIGERIANS SHOULD IGNORE ANY BLACK MARKET INJUNCTION

6^th January, 2012

Press Statement

NIGERIANS SHOULD IGNORE ANY BLACK MARKET  INJUNCTION

There are rumours circulating that the desperate Jonathan administration has purchased a black market injunction possibly from the National Industrial Court (NIC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is not aware of any such injunction, we were not served any paper of court appearance, we were not present in court nor were we represented in any capacity. Also, the NLC was not served any court summons nor were we served any court order.

The cretins in the Jonathan administration imagine that by seeking to drag the judiciary in the mud, they can avert the general strikes, rallies and mass protests that will begin on Monday 9^th January, 2012.  They cannot make the simple analysis that the whole populace is angry and that Nigerians do not need any group to ask them to protest an evil policy that seeks to impoverish them.

The NLC asks Nigerians to ignore this childish ploy and rumour; there is no going back on next week’s protests and shutdown.

The issue of the strikes, protests and against an obnoxious policy, is not and industrial relations one; it is not between an employer and an employee. Rather it is one between the Nigerian People versus the Jonathan Government.

So if the issue was taken before the National Industrial Court, then it is the wrong place to shop for a black market injunction. To obtain an injunction from a court that has no competent jurisdiction is to try playing ping pong with the judiciary.

Labour reiterates that the constitutional and fundamental right of Nigerians to protest cannot be annulled.

The NLC asks Nigerians to ignore such rumours; the strikes, mass rallies and protests will go on as scheduled.  The NLC advises the Jonathan administration to listen to the people or face their justifiable wrath.

 

Owei Lakemfa

Acting General Secretary