LAGOS — YORUBA socio-political and cultural group, Afenifere, and Human Rights Movement, Campaign for Democracy (CD) have thrown their weight behind tomorrow’s nationwide strike called by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in protest against recent hike in prices of petroleum products, while also calling for the dissolution of the Senator Mantu-led Palliative Committee.
Both groups declared total support for NLC’s call for reversion of prices of petroleum products to the old price regime that existed before the recent increase on September 22, 2004.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the indefinite strike billed to start tomorrow could have been avoided had government listened to the cries of the people that heralded the four-day warning strike last month.
"Afenifere unequivocally endorses the resumption of the strike by Labour to force the Federal Government to revert back to the pre-September 22 prices of petroleum products.
"We, however, regret that this is one strike the nation could have avoided if we had a listening and compassionate president. First, Labour gave a 14-day ultimatum before the four-day warning strike in October.
"After suspending the strike, it later extended by another 14 days for the Ramadan season, yet the Obasanjo government refused to take advantage of all these to strike any bargain," Odumakin said.
According to him, government’s recalcitrance is an indication that the president is far removed from the people. He dismissed the position of those against strike, saying the process remained the only way Nigerians could draw President Obasanjo’s attention to their sufferings.
The Afenifere scribe urged Nigerians to give their total support to the strike, stressing "by the time the nation is grinded to a halt, the president would know that Nigeria is not Ota Farm where he can insist on the amount he wants to sell his eggs and anybody who doesn’t want it his way can go to the highway."
The Committee, according to Afenifere, should be saddled with the responsibility of proffering solutions as to how the nation’s refineries should be made functional; ensure that the petroleum sector is run transparently; determines whether Nigeria needed deregulation and the form it should take, if it is in the affirmative as well as give the present government the option of resignation if it cannot manage the oil sector.
In a similar vein, human rights group, Campaign for Democracy (CD) said it was totally in support of the strike, but asked the NLC to be more creative in handling the indefinite strike so as not to wear people out, especially against the backdrop of the fact that majority of Nigerians operate in the informal sector. In this regard, the group suggested that markets and transporters be allowed to operate from 2:00pm on each day through out the indefinite strike, so the action could be sustained.
"This would guarantee the sustenance of an indefinite strike, as it is now clear that the Obasanjo administration would only talk to those who adopt extreme measures," the group stated.
CD said in a statement signed by General Secretary, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin: "President Obasanjo and his so-called experts are treating Nigerians the cold way receivers would handle an ailing company. They have forgotten that human lives are what they are toying with in their application of jaded theories."
It called on all segments of the society to give their total support to the strike to liberate all Nigerians from the shackles of the present government.
