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Mobilisation rally: Police say
no to NLC
FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE
POLICE in the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have refused to grant the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC) permit to hold a mobilisation rally today in support of next
Tuesday’s re-commencement of nationwide fuel price hike strike even as Labour
refused to rejoin the Senator Ibrahim Mantu-led palliative committee.
But the NLC leadership has dismissed the
police position as unconstitutional, adding that by virtue of Section 40 of the
constitution, Nigerians do not require the "permission or approval of the police
authority" to hold processions.
NLC also insisted that the strike must
hold from Monday even as its National Executive Council (NEC) is scheduled to
meet in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, this week.
The hardline positions of both the police
and Labour has left tension in the air in Abuja.
The police in a press statement signed by
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Allwell Okwuonu, the FCT Police Relations
Officer, warned the NLC not to embark on any procession.
In the statement, which made reference to
a letter addressed to the NLC leadership, the police stated that its
"investigation/intelligence reports indicate that there is grand plan by
hoodlums to hijack the procession and cause mayhem on peoples’ property and
those of public institutions and lives of innocent citizens in FCT".
While informing the NLC that no police
permit was granted for them to hold the procession, it appealed to the NLC to
shelve the planned action "in the interest of peace and tranquility of FCT".
Mr. Okwuonu stated that police have made
arrangements to safeguard motor parks, the airport, business areas and
government offices, adding that neither the NLC nor "miscreants/hoodlums would
be allowed to take over the streets of FCT in whatever guise".
But, reacting to the police statement,
acting general secretary of NLC, Comrade Shehu Lukman noted that the claims by
the police were fabricated to deny Labour the right to protest obnoxious
government policies.
The NLC asked the police "to acknowledge
the huge burden of loss and deprivation Nigerians have been compelled to incur
on account of the numerous problems facing the economy. It is important to draw
your attention to the fact that the rights of Nigerians to protest, including
embarking on public procession, is already granted by section 40 of the
constitution and therefore, does not require the permission or approval of the
police authority".
Labour stated that references to
intelligence about miscreants and hoodlums are "completely unfounded, false and
an attempt by the police high command to evade their constitutional
responsibility, thereby shielding the government from the grievances of
citizens."
NLC called on the police to play their
constitutional role by providing security cover for the protest as both National
Assembly reports on NLC protests and other evidence have proved that "Nigerians
have the capacity to conduct themselves peacefully."
Quitting of the Mantu committee came
against the background of claims that President Olusegun Obasanjo has given the
committee space to discuss the fuel price issue, an area that was hitherto a
no-go-area for the members.
However, acting General Secretary of NLC,
Lukman told Daily Champion that there was no evidence to show that the
President was ready to revisit the fuel price hike otherwise "the interim report
submitted by the palliative committee would have been acted upon".
The congress scribe argued that Labour and
civil society groups had shown sufficiently that they "were not war mongers and
were ready for dialogue by initially participating in the Senator Mantu
Committee," pointing out that the only cushioning measure acceptable to Labour
was the total reversal of the hike in pump prices of petroleum effected last
September 23.
This, he stated, was part of the
recommendations in the interim report submitted by the committee and that any
sincerity on the part of government to genuinely roll back the hike, would have
to d with implementing the report.
Mr. Lukman confirmed that on account of
the fresh mandate from the President to the palliatives committee, the congress
(NLC) had been invited to rejoin the committee from which the NLC puled out last
week.
The acting General Secretary noted that
thee was nothing to cheer about on the permission to discuss fuel price by the
committee, pointing out that there was no evidence to show that President
Obasanjo was favourably disposed to having he hike discussed with a view to
rolling it back.
He disclosed that the strike would still
hold as scheduled, adding that the congress was intensifying mobilisation across
the nation to ensure its success.
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