Daily Independent Online.
*
Friday, June 11, 2004.
Between Labour strikes and health of the polity
By Habib Aruna
Assistant
Political Editor, Lagos
The
picture that appeared on the front page of this newspaper of Wednesday, June 9,
2004, taken at the premises of the Abuja Federal High Court painted two
instructive scenarios: The first one is that of a combative leader of the
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, listening attentively
to the gist of his lawyers, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) and Mr. Femi Falana.
The
import of the second could not of course be missed, which is that of two
renowned civil rights and pro-democracy activists, who have over the years
fought against military dictatorship now teeming up with the leader of what is
undoubtedly the most formidable umbrella of opposition groups, to fight against
what they describe as a rape on the right of Nigerians to have a decent living.
The
two democracy campaigners, who have been in fore front of championing the causes
of the people even at the risk of their lives, had in furtherance with the
above objectives, joined the fray last year to contest elections into political
offices, but for obvious reasons could not make it to the red tape.
Their
cries after the elections that the National Conscience Party (NCP), a party
whose auspices they contested, was rigged out was largely ignored by Nigerians,
most of whom were apparently not ready to listen to their clarion call.
The
electorate, though dissatisfied with the conduct of the elections, were willing
to give the politicians yet
another opportunity to put their acts together. The call by Fawehinmi and his
co-travelers that people should disregard the elections result was therefore
seen as too extreme.
But
what they failed to get with the ballot box is now being freely thrown at them.
In fact, the Federal Government’s unpopular policies have once again
brought back the duo to the limelight and into public consciousness.
It
indeed reinforces their stand about the sincerity and attitude of the
government to better the conditions of the people. And in close alliance with
organised Labour, the two radical lawyers have teemed with others to force the
government rescind its decision to hike the prices of petroleum products.
How
then did the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration wasted the mountain of
goodwill that followed his re-election for second term? And why has the
government failed to correctly gauge the mood of the people when churning out
policies and programmes? Yet another question that agitates the minds of
Nigerians is, why has the President treated them with disdain.
“The
President behaves like a ruler rather than a leader. He acts as if he is
passing instructions to his subjects in a medieval court and that is very
disturbing,” says Wale Okunowo, a public commentator.
For
now, the country has again been put on the twig of uncertainty with the current
strike action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to press
against its disapproval of the upward adjustment of the petroleum pump price
from the agreed N38.00 per litre to N50.00 per litre.
The
strike is coming on the heels of a seven-day ultimatum given to the government
by the NLC for it to rescind the increment or face a long drawn strike. The
government had hinged the increase on the soaring prices at the international
market. Although the country is an oil-producing country, it has been importing
the products for domestic needs ever since.
However,
Oshiomhole, who had earlier written a letter to the President warning of the
dire consequences of crisis that is likely to follow, insisted that the Labour
body and the civil society groups could not solve the country’s problems
by merely lamenting and shouting but by rejecting policies.
“We
have resolved to remain and fight until the Federal Government agrees to
dialogue with the people”, the Labour leader said, urging men of the
Nigerian Police to know that they are supposed to protect Nigerians and not
necessarily be lackeys of any government in power.
There
is no doubt that the perennial strike actions by Labour are having their toll
on the democratic process. Still, as some have noted, it is an avoidable
over-heating of the polity with its attendant adverse implications for the
democratic process.
Worse
still is the accusation by critics that the government kept on repeating the
same mistakes by not informing the people before hand if there is going to be a
major policy shift. Some even said days after the adjustment had been made, the
government did not find it expedient to come out and explain to the people why
they should again tighten their belt.
“This
is supposed to be a democratic government with the presupposition that those in
government must be responsible and accountable to the people”, argued
Nurudeen Ogbara, the secretary of the National Association of Democratic
Lawyers, adding that “but sadly, the attitude of the Obasanjo government
is that we are least important and so when decisions are to be taken on issues
that bother on our existence, we are not even taken into consideration”.
Even
so, the Federal Government’s posture has been attributed to the absence
of an effective opposition parties and virile National Assembly. It is not an
idle thought that most of the parties apart from few ones have gone to sleep
only to wake up on the eve of elections. They have thus abdicated a major
function parties are supposed to play in a democracy, which is to
constructively fault unpopular policies and proffer alternatives.
The
federal legislators on their own part have received a lot of bashing for acting
as a mere rubber stamp to the wishes and caprices of the Executive. It was even
gathered that the National Assembly was not consulted before the latest
development and it is a common knowledge that the National Assembly did not
think it was important to intervene before the seven-day ultimatum elapsed.
Besides,
many are wondering why the federal lawmakers kept silent and looked unconcerned
as their legislative powers are being encroached upon. “How can they
review the prices of a major product like petroleum without the active
involvement of the legislative arm”, ask Kehinde Obasa, a banker.
“Its either the lawmakers were bypassed or they had implicitly endorsed
the hike before it was effected,” he added.
Obasa,
who said he supported the strike if only to show that sovereignty still resides
with the people, accused members of the National Assembly for being insensitive
to the plight of the people and for, indeed, conniving with the Executive to
further worsen their conditions.
This
obvious helplessness is sharply in contrast with the hard-line position of
Alhaji Aminu Masari, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in January,
when he met the media in Lagos. The Speaker had said the House would make sure
that this year’s budget would be monitored to benefit the larger
interests of the Nigerian people.
Masari
also restated that the House would not be unconcerned when the interest of
Nigerians is being trampled upon. It is however unlikely that the Speaker can
justify his earlier stance with any notable legislation to that effect.
But
observers are worried that these ceaseless strikes might one day turn out in an
unpredictable or predetermined way. It is their thinking that the more the
nation faces this kind of mass protest, the effects it would have on the
democratic process cannot be quantified. “The will of the people cannot
be subdued for too long, the spontaneity might one day over-explode”,
Okunowo argued.
However,
Oshiomhole, whose stature has reached an all-time high because most aggrieved
Nigerians now see him as the symbol of their resistance, said that Nigerians
have good reasons not to trust any government. He added that it is important
for every leader to appreciate that he must earn every bit of people’s
confidence.
The
Labour leader recaptured the last day of the last strike by the NLC, saying
that if something was not done, the story would have been different.
“If
you saw what happened the last day, if that situation continued, only God would
have known what Nigeria will be like today. At that point, we knew we were
getting to the break-even point and we have to apply the breaks. Because if we
went beyond that, it wasn’t clear to us what might happen”,
Oshiomhole added.
As
it is, it appears that the negotiations between NLC and the government had
collapsed, but any regular listener to phone-in programmes on radio and
television will know that there is massive public support for the strike while
the government threads the forlorn path in the struggle to preserve the health
of the polity, and with such an overwhelming public support for Labour,
Nigerians are only proving to the government that power ultimately resides with
the people.
