The alternative to dialogue is rebellion
Former National Conscience Party governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Mr. Femi Falana, says civil disobedience is an alternative
THE alternative to strike is dialogue. But the NLC cannot talk to itself. The other alternative is armed rebellion, Like Dokubo Asari and others are doing. What is becoming increasingly clear is that as long as oil flows in Nigeria, government has no regard for anything.
If the government wants to douse the tension already generated by the notice of strike, it can move quickly by either reversing the hike or enter into dialogue with labour. And there is no justification for the arrogance of the government.
Ghana, has no oil, in fact it depends on Nigeria for her oil needs. Their president, John Kuffour made the point clear in July this year that he would not increase the prices of petroleum products. And that was in response to the demand of the liberal economists in Ghana that the Kuffour regime should hike the prices of petroleum products because of the high prices in international market. The man said 'no, that it would wipe away all the gains made in the last four years.'
Our own president has just given $40m loan to Ghana so what is the excuse of the government in the circumstances? contrarily, government is provoking labour and the masses by increasing fuel prices five times in five years, by abolishing the PTF set up by the late Sani Abacha.
All the time the government says, the gains are supposed to be made from the increases are going to be ploughed in improving social services in the country. But the services are getting poorer, while people are paying more and more. There is increasing graduate unemployment youth restiveness, and increasing violence. Yet our country is the seventh largest producer of oil in the world.
On the deadlock
There is no room for arrogance on the part of a supposedly elected government. For some time the Obasanjo regime has been talking of reforms, you cannot engage in reforms to the extent that the people are dead. How will they enjoy the benefits of the reforms?
Obasanjo was once in the forefront of the campaign for ameliorating the social effects of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). He in fact coined the phrase 'SAP with a human face.' This government has become the surrogate of imperialism.
How to get out of the structure; is strike the only way out?
You cannot talk to yourself. The government is intransigent. We are out going back to deregulation, because they are not deregulating.
How long will strike remain the instrument of resistance?
It will remain as long as the government is not ready and willing to engage in meaningful and productive dialogue.
Look at the govt palliative committee. Even the name of the committee suggested that government has made up its mind on the price increases, so there is no going back. Labour was persuaded to go there, it went, initially government said, 'discuss everything including the prices of petroleum products.' But when government lost the argument there, the president wrote a letter to the committee, asking it 'who asked you to discuss prices of petroleum products.'
As soon as labour pulled out and served a strike notice, the president now told the committee, please discuss price increases. Are they dealing with children?
We are toying with the life of a nation. Because of the strike and the vacillations of government, investors are staying away. This is a huge price.
Effectiveness of strike as a weapon
Strike and civil disobedience in many instances in the past in this country had been effective. Strike gave us democracy. If we had not embarked on strike, or civil obedience and allowed the military establishment to continue to rule the country, dictatorship would still be on the agenda of Nigeria by now.
Left to Abacha, Obasanjo, Yar'Adua and others would have been killed after their phantom coup trial. It was the human rights community that got the information that the trials had been concluded. We did not want what happened to Vasta and co to happen again so we cried out. The whole world joined and the story is different today.
|
