Economic activities across Nigeria was for most part of the day today brought to a standstill in the first day of the nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), the Trade Union Congress(TUC) and other organized labour entities to protest the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.
Before the subsidy removal, petrol sold for N65
per litre; it now sells at N141 per litre, and even for more in some areas.
The House of Representatives on Sunday during an emergency session urged the federal government to reinstate the subsidy in the interest of the masses.
From Abuja, the Federal Capital to Lagos, the Commercial nerve center of the country, all public and private business centers including banks,financial institutions,markets and motor parks were shut.
In Abuja despite the heavy presence of policemen and other security operatives, the huge crowd of protesters led by the President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar took to the streets and proceeded to Eagle Square but met human shield mounted by heavily armed securitymen.
At 10.15am, the surging crowd of protesters overwhelmed the security shield and the police had to give way to the unprecedented crowd who carried placards with various anti-government and pro-subsidy inscriptions such as ‘Jona Haram’, ‘Its only truth that exalt a Nation’, ‘On N65 we stand’.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, NLC President said until President Jonathan revert to the old pump price of N65, the protest would continue while commending members of the House of Representatives for siding with the popular wish of Nigerians.
He hoped that the Senate would tow similar line so as to tell the executive in clear term that the people would not take the executive lawlessness on issues concerning welfare of the people.
He queried the rationale behind the N3.5m annual salary of the President with additional N1billion for State House food and N11billion for presidential travels in 2012 and the affluence the ruling elite enjoyed while the people are made to suffer untold hardship through lack of water lack of good roads and electric power supply.
In Lagos, people started trooping to the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota in readiness for the rally/protest which got to its peak at about noon with the large crowd virtually taking over the express way and other adjacent thoroughfares.
Those that could not converge at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, staged the protests at their various local government council areas.
The event was unique in the history of protests in the country as it had colour added to it with various notable musicians rendering popular lyrics to the dancing foot of the protesters. The musician include Ras Kimono, Femi Anikulapo Kuti, Dede Mabiaku and others.
Prominent among those at the protest are the fiery preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare,J.Odumakin,Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Mrs Gani Fawehinmi and many others. Lagos State Government ordered the closure of all public and private schools until the nationwide strike is called off.
Leaders and members of the joint aviation unions also picketed the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Ikeja, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja.
Though none of the domestic airlines was able to operate a single flight while the strike lasted.
This was attributed to lack of passengers to board their planes as like others, airline passengers stayed back in their homes.
Arik Air which landed last night from London in Lagos, attempted to fly its Port Harcourt bound passengers from the domestic terminal early today, but could not as some essential staff at the terminal withdrew their services in compliance with the nationwide strike called by both the NLC and TUC.
Despite the strike however, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) said today that the nation’s airspace was not closed to air traffic.
According to the General Manager, Public Affairs of NAMA, Mr Supo Atobatele,:’we confirm also that the control towers this morning were manned by our controllers contrary to speculations from uninformed quarters.
The agency as at this afternoon had handled more than a dozen flights at the Lagos airport. The flights include-Virgin Atlantic ,Arik Air operating on London route,Middle East , Kenya Airways,DHL ,Ethiopian all in bound,and a presidential jet (out bound). Airlines like KLM,Air France,British Airways among others had filed in their flight plans for today’.
One death was however recorded in Ogba area of Agege, Lagos where a team of Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police policemen on patrol shot and killed a young teenager simply called Ademola, who was said to have been playing street football.
It was learnt that the armed policemen on patrol attempted to disperse a group of young teenagers who had gathered at the junction of their street near Yaya Abatan in the Ogba area to show their support for the labour strike action when the police fired shots in the air and on the ground and in the process, stray bullets hit 4 bystanders, killing one instantly.
The other three injured were taken to County Hospital for treatment. However the body of the young teenager who was shot has been carried away in a wheel barrow by the angry mob who surrounded the Area G police station.
In Oyo State, protesters trooped out in large numbers especially in the State capital, Ibadan where they moved through Iyaganku and many places and later converged at the Freedom Square opposite Mapo Hall where the Chairman of the State Chapter of NLC, Comrade Bashir Olanrewaju addressed thousands of protesters.
At a stage when the protesters massed toward the government house to deliver their message to the government for onward transmission to the President Jonathan in Abuja, policemen fired tear gas canisters and warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd.
Five people reportedly sustained injuries from stray bullets while scampering for safety. The protesters later re-group and went back insisting that their voice and message must be heard.
In Ondo, Ekiti , Ogun and Osun States the scenarios recorded were the same as people trooped out in their thousands to express their displeasure at the Federal Government’s insistence on removal of petrol subsidy which has led to increase on transport fares, food items and other domino effects on both social and economic spheres of life.
In Ogun State, government postponed school resumption date indefinitely and advised parents to keep their children at home till after the strike is called off.
The House of Representatives on Sunday during an emergency session urged the federal government to reinstate the subsidy in the interest of the masses.
From Abuja, the Federal Capital to Lagos, the Commercial nerve center of the country, all public and private business centers including banks,financial institutions,markets and motor parks were shut.
In Abuja despite the heavy presence of policemen and other security operatives, the huge crowd of protesters led by the President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar took to the streets and proceeded to Eagle Square but met human shield mounted by heavily armed securitymen.
At 10.15am, the surging crowd of protesters overwhelmed the security shield and the police had to give way to the unprecedented crowd who carried placards with various anti-government and pro-subsidy inscriptions such as ‘Jona Haram’, ‘Its only truth that exalt a Nation’, ‘On N65 we stand’.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, NLC President said until President Jonathan revert to the old pump price of N65, the protest would continue while commending members of the House of Representatives for siding with the popular wish of Nigerians.
He hoped that the Senate would tow similar line so as to tell the executive in clear term that the people would not take the executive lawlessness on issues concerning welfare of the people.
He queried the rationale behind the N3.5m annual salary of the President with additional N1billion for State House food and N11billion for presidential travels in 2012 and the affluence the ruling elite enjoyed while the people are made to suffer untold hardship through lack of water lack of good roads and electric power supply.
In Lagos, people started trooping to the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota in readiness for the rally/protest which got to its peak at about noon with the large crowd virtually taking over the express way and other adjacent thoroughfares.
Those that could not converge at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, staged the protests at their various local government council areas.
The event was unique in the history of protests in the country as it had colour added to it with various notable musicians rendering popular lyrics to the dancing foot of the protesters. The musician include Ras Kimono, Femi Anikulapo Kuti, Dede Mabiaku and others.
Prominent among those at the protest are the fiery preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare,J.Odumakin,Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Mrs Gani Fawehinmi and many others. Lagos State Government ordered the closure of all public and private schools until the nationwide strike is called off.
Leaders and members of the joint aviation unions also picketed the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Ikeja, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja.
Though none of the domestic airlines was able to operate a single flight while the strike lasted.
This was attributed to lack of passengers to board their planes as like others, airline passengers stayed back in their homes.
Arik Air which landed last night from London in Lagos, attempted to fly its Port Harcourt bound passengers from the domestic terminal early today, but could not as some essential staff at the terminal withdrew their services in compliance with the nationwide strike called by both the NLC and TUC.
Despite the strike however, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) said today that the nation’s airspace was not closed to air traffic.
According to the General Manager, Public Affairs of NAMA, Mr Supo Atobatele,:’we confirm also that the control towers this morning were manned by our controllers contrary to speculations from uninformed quarters.
The agency as at this afternoon had handled more than a dozen flights at the Lagos airport. The flights include-Virgin Atlantic ,Arik Air operating on London route,Middle East , Kenya Airways,DHL ,Ethiopian all in bound,and a presidential jet (out bound). Airlines like KLM,Air France,British Airways among others had filed in their flight plans for today’.
One death was however recorded in Ogba area of Agege, Lagos where a team of Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police policemen on patrol shot and killed a young teenager simply called Ademola, who was said to have been playing street football.
It was learnt that the armed policemen on patrol attempted to disperse a group of young teenagers who had gathered at the junction of their street near Yaya Abatan in the Ogba area to show their support for the labour strike action when the police fired shots in the air and on the ground and in the process, stray bullets hit 4 bystanders, killing one instantly.
The other three injured were taken to County Hospital for treatment. However the body of the young teenager who was shot has been carried away in a wheel barrow by the angry mob who surrounded the Area G police station.
In Oyo State, protesters trooped out in large numbers especially in the State capital, Ibadan where they moved through Iyaganku and many places and later converged at the Freedom Square opposite Mapo Hall where the Chairman of the State Chapter of NLC, Comrade Bashir Olanrewaju addressed thousands of protesters.
At a stage when the protesters massed toward the government house to deliver their message to the government for onward transmission to the President Jonathan in Abuja, policemen fired tear gas canisters and warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd.
Five people reportedly sustained injuries from stray bullets while scampering for safety. The protesters later re-group and went back insisting that their voice and message must be heard.
In Ondo, Ekiti , Ogun and Osun States the scenarios recorded were the same as people trooped out in their thousands to express their displeasure at the Federal Government’s insistence on removal of petrol subsidy which has led to increase on transport fares, food items and other domino effects on both social and economic spheres of life.
In Ogun State, government postponed school resumption date indefinitely and advised parents to keep their children at home till after the strike is called off.
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