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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Fuel prices: Ogbeh blames foreign forces
From John-Abba Ogbodo, Madu Onuorah (Abuja) and Lawrence Njoku (Enugu) NATIONAL Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday admitted that some international forces are behind the controversial deregulation process of the present administration, confessing that the party is in a dilemma over the resultant hardship, which is crushing "many people to the dust." However, there was a hardening of positions yesterday by both government and Labour with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Hassan Lawal, accusing the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of having completedly derailed from handling wage issues to dabble into politics, while the NLC President, Adams Oshiomhole, on his part charged workers to fight on even if he was arrested or jailed. In what sounded like a lamentation song, Ogbeh told his audience: "We have international agencies saying "deregulate" and yet, as a political group, we are aware that it you surrender your country to the fierce forces of the market, you will crush many people to the dust... We are in a dilemma, what do we do?" In an interview with journalists, after a meeting with the diplomatic corps, Ogbeh regretted that the deregulation exercise had put the nation in a dilemma, stressing that as a political party, the PDP leaders believed that if the deregulation of the oil sector is implemented as required by international agencies, the government would be exposed to anger and hate. According to Ogbeh, those insisting on deregulation are not talking of the adverse effects on Nigerians. "They didn't talk about that and that's where as a political party, we keep expressing concern that there must be a meeting point because something has to be done to heal the pain because we are not all strong enough to cope," Ogbeh declared. Speaking before the meeting with the envoys, the PDP chairman reiterated that any country that leaves its economy to the vagaries of the market exposes itself to anger and hate, emphasising: "We have a dilemma, what do we do?" Dissociating the PDP from the recent increase in the prices of petroleum by government, the national chairman said that it was not discussed with the party, maintaining that the party hierarchy was worried. His words: "Since the deregulation, these subjects have not come up for discussion, so to speak. It is not as if we now sit down and say we are raising the price tomorrow. When we talked of deregulation, it is like, well, market forces. "That's precisely what I am saying. We are very worried about it. The pain is heavy but then you are told if you are deregulating, this is inevitable, otherwise, we can't find somewhere around. It is a very difficult thing and we are all agonising over. That is the truth." Reacting to the threats of mass action by the NLC and some civil organisations, Ogbeh disclosed that a machinery had been put in place to invite them for a dialogue. In his opening address, the chairman noted that the party was aware of the efforts of some countries to assist Nigeria in the task of repositioning her economy but pointed out that they should allow the government to show them areas where such assistance was needed. He reminded the envoys that the meeting was essentially to rub minds with them so as to feel their pulse on the on-going reforms in the country with a view to getting their contributions. According to him, their various countries had applied certain measures in the past as solutions to their problems and Nigeria would like to share such experiences and see how they could be adapted in the country in the extant circumstance. Ogbeh further said the greatest threat to the nation's existence is in the area of hunger and poverty, stressing that the process of reform has severe consequences on the people. He, however, assured that government would work assiduously towards ameliorating the situation. He tasked the envoys to explore ways of assisting the country in the area of poverty and hunger alleviation, stressing that "the greatest injustice is hunger and poverty." The chairman also noted that the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) would be a failure if the continent did not develop trans-African rail lines. This, he said, could be made possible if political parties in Africa could have a common forum to discuss. The national secretary of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, in his welcome address said the PDP manifesto captures the objectives of the regional and sub-regional groupings. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, and the Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Samir Baker Diab, commended the party for the forum, saying that it would go a long way to bridge information gap. Over 34 countries were represented at the parley. The Federal Government yesterday said that the NLC has completely derailed in its mandate by "dabbling into politics", especially in the current effort to battle the new increases in fuel prices. Minister of Labour, Dr. Hassan Lawal, told journalists after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) that the Federal Government is sticking with its position that only the court can determine its attitude to the fuel price issue. The minister said: "As far as we are concerned, we believe in the rule of law. And if you recall, during the last aborted strike, the government made it clear that every decision by the court of law is what it will abide by. As I am speaking to you now, there is a subsisting judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction and the content of that judgment is very well known to you and to the Labour movement. If the Labour movement decides to violate that judgment by way of contempt of court, that would be up to them. The consequences of contempt of court are so clear and open to everybody. So, what I am telling you is that we believe in the rule of law and we will abide by the judgment of the court." He continued: "NLC has derailed. If they say that they believe in the rule of law and they have consistently said that. Now that there is a judgment and the judgment is very clear and it is the same NLC that has called a meeting and has attacked all those things that the court has said it should not do. In the same breath, it is the same NLC that has gone out to appeal against the judgment. So, this is a bundle of contradictions as far as we are concerned. A lot of Nigerians are wondering because you have to re`spect a court decision before you can appeal against it." Speaking on the mandate of Labour, the minister submitted that instead of concentrating on workers' welfare, promotion and other entitlements, the NLC leadership had delved into seeking governance of the country. His words: "The NLC has abandoned the mandate given by the majority of workers to it and that is to go and look after their welfare in so many ways. Now they have abandoned that and gone into the arena of governance, attacking every conceivable policy of government. So, I can tell you they have derailed." Oshiomhole said while addressing workers in Enugu yesterday: "I read from the newspapers yesterday (Tuesday) where somebody representing the Inspector-General of Police said in court that I may be arrested and put in protective custody before the strike." He continued: "But let me say this to you, if you hear that that happens, don't pity me. The best you can do to justify where I am is to make sure that nobody benefits from that arrest by ensuring that, what we have agreed to do on October 11, whether with or without me must succeed. Do you understand that? Yes sir: Are you committed to that? Yes Sir: Will you do that? Yes sir". With these words yesterday, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, bounded workers to an oath declaring that there would be no going back on the general strike slated for October 11, 2004". Oshiomhole asked members of the National Union of Chemical Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, currently holding their 2nd Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Enugu not to succumb to intimidation and harassment by the Federal Government but to mobilise their members for the industrial action. He said: "They think that once a judge can make the pronouncement, then it will stop our agitation for the welfare of the people of the country. "But let me tell you, I am already a prisoner the day I cannot in clear conscience speak my mind. I became a prisoner, if I can not in clear conscience mobilise against injustice. I am a prisoner the day I cannot in clear conscience fight against bad governance and I am a prisoner the day I see what is wrong and I cannot say it." The president subsequently charged the workers to remain in prison with endless vengeance is more dehumanising than to be committed to a specific prison term". "One of the way to show that this government cannot continue to imprison Nigerians is to make sure that we as free citizens of Nigeria take full advantage to withdraw our collective democratic account under Section 40 of the Constitution which is full of all democratic currencies. We will thrive on this account, under Section 40, as Nigerians to reject the fuel price increase and October 11, we will ask the question, who owns the land?" He asked the conference to justify efforts of the leadership of the NLC by moving a motion to say "in the event that he is not there, they must be there, to say to the general secretaries in the 774 local governments that they will be there if they are not, to tell Comrade Tanko, if the presidency is exhausted, the treasurers shall act as president and the struggle shall continue and you shall say finally, if all of you are gone, we the foot soldiers for Nigeria's justice shall organise and the struggle shall continue". Oshiomhole remarked that the present administration is full of deceit, pointing out that though it had tried to muzzle Labour, Nigerians must resist the attempt of being treated as slaves in their own land. "I want you to use this opportunity to reflect on the Nigerian condition. Like I told the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), I am not worried that we have made yesterday wasted opportunities, I am not entirely surprised about the confusion of the moment, but I am concerned that tomorrow must not be wasted again and the only way to make sure that they don't waste our tomorrow is to engage them now and now, because the future begins today and that explains why we are against this government and insist that Nigerian people are not tenants on Nigeria's land but they (the current regime) are tenants in power, and they must not conduct themselves as if they are landlords of the federal republic," he added. According to Oshiomhole, it is the Nigerian people who are the landlords and those in power are the tenants. "And no tenant should feel too big to question the right of the landlord to determine the condition of the house," he added. He stated that the collective destiny of Nigerians have been re-negotiated, pointing out that it was the height of "irresponsibility" of any government to mortgage her future to the whims and caprices of the World Bank. "You can imagine, Minister of Finance, Okonjo Iweala, going to the National Assembly not to confess like sinners do but to try to deceive the House, with the benefit of the contradiction in their system, draws a question; what about this N110 billion that you are spending from CBN; did you spend money like that? She will say yes, I spent money like that, not from 2004 excess, but from the 2003 excess. "But I tell you, democracy is all about constitution, it is about rules and subjecting ourselves to rules, even by normal budgetary policy, even if that money was budgeted for in the year 2003 and it was not spent by December 2003; that money has lapsed. It is criminal for Okonjo-Iweala and whoever authorises them to spend money either from the 2003 excess or 2004 excess," he added. For the Labour leader, doing so meant that "the constitution has been abandoned; money is spent and not appropriated. That means Nigeria has become a Banana Republic, where big matters are dealt as if it is a relationship between a vulganiser and the man who has the tyres punctured by the road side." He stated that the present administration had so abused the country's collective intellect to the extent that the laws they made were only meant for the poor and the less-privileged. "They are law-breakers, they live above the law and yet, they ask you and I to obey the law," he said, adding that the present government must purge itself of all these if the country must move forward. He stated that all these were taking place because, "the institution put in place to police the Executive, defend the constitution and ensure that laws are obeyed have mortgaged that conscience to the Executive." He therefore, challenged Nigerians, "to question Obasanjo, Okonjo-Iweala and call off the hypocrisy that characterise the government. "We have the right to remove whoever we want and all the judges whose conscience are available for sale. If they were to be bought, in-order to use them to try to extinguish the flame of our struggle for justice and fairness, will be a futile effort," he stated. |
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