Why ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protests are spreading
Petrol prices went wild immediately, hitting as high as N200 per litre in some cities from N65 it used to be, except for the NNPC’s mega-stations which maintain uniform price of N138. Expectedly, transport fares and prices of food stuff as well as other essentials skyrocketed. Hours after the announcement, Nigerians mobilised and hit major […]
Petrol prices went wild immediately, hitting as high as N200 per litre in some cities from N65 it used to be, except for the NNPC’s mega-stations which maintain uniform price of N138. Expectedly, transport fares and prices of food stuff as well as other essentials skyrocketed. Hours after the announcement, Nigerians mobilised and hit major streets in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Ilorin, among others. In most of the states, protests were led by members of civil society groups, even before Labour leaders could reach out to its members for a common ground.
Protesters mostly mobilised themselves through social networks like Facebook, Twitter and even the mega-popular BlackBerry Messenger. By noon on Monday, Dino Melaye, a former House of Reps member and Nasir el-Rufa’I, ex-minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), gathered an army of angry Nigerians for a march on Abuja streets. Soon, on the internet, the protests would collectively be named ‘Occupy Nigeria,’ after similar, ongoing action in some American cities. The networking then spread to other major cities across the country.
Of the protests that trailed the subsidy removal, that of Kano surprised many, as it was feared that the purpose of the protest could be lost, with hoodlums hijacking it into a violence spree. However, protesters that started gathering at the Silver Jubilee venue of the protest, now renamed ‘Freedom Square’ in solidarity with the on-going crisis, proved analysts wrong. In fact, observers were unanimous that the Kano protest is the most coordinated and until the police’s offensive against them on Thursday, peaceful.
Like those of the recent Arab Spring, the protesters both Muslims and Christians hit the square prepared, never to go home until the subsidy war is ‘fought and won.’ Volunteers came into the venue with extra mattresses and mats for what a member said would be a long-drawn battle. Some donated bags of sachet water, loaves of bread and even food items, jettisoning sentiments.
At prayer time, Christians stood guard for Muslims against any possible trouble-makers. Likewise, the Muslims would watch while the Christians say their prayers and there was always an ‘Amen’ from all when each side ends a prayer. The Kano example is heart-warming, says Dr. Aliyu Musa, of Hope University, Liverpool, UK. He told Weekly Trust in a telephone interview that it shows that the issue of religious or ethnic manipulation is running out of vogue. “The common man in the North is fast realising that the common enemy is not a fellow sufferer in the South or a Christian man but those crooks at the top.”
Fahad Ibrahim Danladi, Treasurer of Citizens Coalition for Liberation, who was among the protesters said: “In the night we gave food to the police, we played music and we danced together but unfortunately around 1.30am some mobile police and the police officers we were together with started firing tear gas.” He added that, initially, people tried to bear the tear gas but the police drove into the demonstrators.
Kano police spokesman Magaji Musa Majiya disputed this version of the events, saying there were no beatings and no casualties, saying the protest organisers had agreed to move out of the square. “The police were left with no option but to use tear gas to disperse people after they received reports that some miscreants and hoodlums had started to infiltrate [the protesters] and take the law into their own hands,” he said.
Majia also told a radio station that the protest was illegal as it did not have police approval.
Undeterred by police action, various pressure groups are planning for a more serious protest, vowing to resist any more assault form the security agents. Leaders of the various groups converged at an emergency meeting at the state NLC complex where they strategies on best ways to stage their grievances and resist any form of molestation or intimidation during the protest.
In Kaduna, the ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protests started on Tuesday when hundreds of protesters thronged to Murtala Square to write their names on the anti-subsidy removal list. Around 12.45, there were efforts by the security men drafted to the square to disperse them but they stood their ground. On Wednesday, as earlier as 6.am, Weekly Trust gathered that mobile policemen and soldiers were drafted to the square in order to prevent the protesters from entering there. As such, the demonstration was shelved that day. The state commissioner of police, Ballah M. Nasarawa threatened to arrest any persons or groups who attempt to disrupt the peace in the state, apparently referring to the protesters.
On Thursday, the protesters ignored the threat of the police commissioner as they hijacked the popular landmark, Lugard Hall Roundabout, near the state House of Assembly, carrying placards and chanting songs. Some inscriptions on the placards read: “Mr. President is wicked, heartless; No to subsidy; Jonathan must go; Revert back fuel price or revolution; Jonathan is a tyrant,” and so on. They conducted themselves peacefully as they confined themselves inside the roundabout throughout the protest that lasted for hours.
The protesters chanted lyrics from popular Eedris Abdulkareem song ‘Nigeria Jaga-Jaga’ under the watchful eyes of policemen in patrol vehicles on all sides of the roundabout. One of the leaders of the protesters, Barrister Tajudeen Oladoja said they decided to carry out the protest at the roundabout because of its historical importance to the country and to also present a protest letter to the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly. Yesterday, the protest continued at the roundabout, with hundreds of civil rights activists, lawyers, union leaders and students present.
In Ilorin, Kwara State, a young protester called Muyideen Mustafa was allegedly killed by the police, with conflicting claims on how he died. While a version said the young man was hit by a stray bullet from a police gun, the police said the deceased was attacked and killed by protesters who felt he was not on their side. Another protester who was allegedly hit by a stray bullet during a protest in Lokoja is said to have died also.
In Lagos, prominent activists like Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana; Vice- President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Isa Aremu; and former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Dipo Fashina led the protest. Also, wife of late social crusader, Gani Fawehinmi, Ganiyat, and Seun, the son of late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, were part of the protest march.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, The Students Union Government of the University of Ibadan in collaboration with the civil society stormed the Government secretariat at Agodi, Ibadan, and forced Governor Abiola Ajimobi to receive a protest letter for onward dispatch to Jonathan. The youths under the aegis of Coalition of Youths Against Fuel Subsidy Removal were seen chanting anti-subsidy removal songs round some major streets within the metropolis. The placard-carrying youths threatened to make the country ungovernable for the Jonathan administration if the President refused to reverse the subsidy removal within one week.
It was the turn of the people of Sokoto yesterday to register their discontent over the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government as the Joint Action Forum held a peaceful protest in the state stressing that Federal Government should concentrate on tackling the security challenges facing the country. The march, which started at about 9am at the Kangiwa Square, took the protesters through some major streets in the metropolis and to Government House, Sokoto. Market women, youths, students, members of the academia, different professional groups, civil society organizations’, road transport workers, commercial motorcyclists’ were among those who participated in the action against the subsidy removal.
Coordinator JAF Sokoto state, Comrade Ibrahim Adamu Tudun Doki expressed the forum’s total condemnation of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government and stressed that the pump price of PMS should be reversed back to N65 per litre.
Back in Abuja, Nasir el-Rufa’i told Weekly Trust why he joined the strike. “I was not feeling too well on that day but I saw on my twitter feed that some young people had assembled at Eagle Square to protest against the withdrawals of the fuel subsidy, so I decided to join them. It was mostly to give them my moral support and to say that we are with them. I think it is the constitutional right of every Nigerian to protest policies that are not in their favour.”
But shortly after he left, el-Rufa’I said he heard protesters were being arrested. “So I left again in the evening when I found out that they have been taken to the police force’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) headquarters. They were held overnight, in my view, illegally and unconstitutionally.”
On his view of the subsidy el-Rufa’i said: “I’m totally in disagreement with the stands of the government in doing this now. You know, all the economic arguments being put forward to justify the view of the fuel subsidy doesn’t hold water. The basic trust between the people of Nigeria and this government is shattered. Nobody believes that this administration is capable of using any money given to them well.”
One-time Minister of Aviation under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Femi Fani Kayonde said he couldn’t fathom what made the presidency remove the subsidy. “I think it was a mistake on his part.”
Meanwhile Nigeria’s main Labour unions on Wednesday threatened to launch indefinite strikes as from Monday, if the government does not backtrack. “After exhaustive deliberations and consultations with all sections of the populace, the NLC, TUC and their pro-people allies demand that the presidency immediately reverses fuel prices to 65 naira,” a statement signed by the heads of the two unions said. “If the government fails to do so, they direct that indefinite general strikes, mass rallies and street protests be held across the country with effect from Monday, 9th January, 2012.” And all across the nation, angry Nigerians, young and old, rich and poor continue to pour into the streets to lend support and add their voices to ‘Occupy Nigeria’.