14 May 2009
Lagos — Leaders of labour and civil society groups yesterday began a planned nationwide rally in Lagos to press home their demands for N52,200 minimum living wage, implementation of electoral reforms and deregulation of the downstream oil sector.
They also plan to sponsor a bill at the National Assembly, seeking the strict implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Justice Muhammed Uwais Electoral Reform Panel. The draft bill is to be signed by 20 million Nigerians.
However, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola congratulated the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for a peaceful rally and urged it not to be rigid in its demands. He said labour should be willing to use dialogue to resolve conflicts with the government. Fashola said this when the NLC leadership visited him at the Lagos House, Alausa, Lagos shortly after the rally.
The NLC presented a letter containing workers' demands to the governor for onward delivery to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
In a well-coordinated rally, which involved about 2000 workers from various unions, the protesters took off from the National Stadium, Surulere at 8am and ended at about 1.30pm at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa. The traffic situation in Lagos was disrupted for hours, as commuters and other road users could not move freely.
Both riot and regular policemen were on both sides of the road to maintain law and order, direct traffic while their armoured vehicles led the protesters. Unlike previous protests that ended in tragic notes, yesterday's protest was very peaceful and orderly.
Some of the civil society groups and labour organisations that took part in the protest include the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Maritime Union of Nigeria, Food Unions; Association of Senior Staff of Banks and Financial Institutions; and Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).
The protesters chanted abusive songs, calling Nigerian Leaders "thieves". Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: 'Global meltdown, the rich should pay'; 'FG, hands off trade union'; 'Nationalise all industries under workers' democratic control'; 'Cut down political office holders' pay'; 'Nigeria is too rich for Nigerians to be poor'; 'Minimum wage must be a living wage'; 'Repair refineries, build more'; among others.
At Alausa, the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, handed over a protest letter containing Labour's demands to Fashola.
Omar said labour is sponsoring a bill before the National Assembly for the full implementation of the Justice Uwais Committee Report. The bill, he said, is in response to a call by President Yar'Adua "that those who feel dissatisfied with the activities of government should sponsor their own bill".
Omar accused the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of doctoring the committee's report by removing all the vital aspect to the extent of rendering it a nonentity.
On the fuel crisis, Omar lamented the queues at filling stations, describing it as a deliberate attempt by government to justify its reason for deregulation. He maintained that Nigerians would stand up to resist every attempt by government to deregulate the downstream sector.
"We are witnessing some kind of rehearsal in fuel stations, where you have to stay for 3 hours before getting fuel. This is a deliberate attempt to tell Nigerians that deregulation is justified. But we - as Nigerians - will not stand and watch government try to muzzle us out of existence; because the prices of petroleum will have adverse effect on each and every other products and services. Therefore, we say capital 'NO' to deregulation" he added.
He berated the Labour Minister for allegedly calling workers miscreants, saying that despite attempts to halt the protest rally, the march was very successful. He therefore tasked the governor to convey the demands of Labour and Nigerians to the President.
Fashola commended labour for conducting a peaceful protest, saying that the protest was orderly and well articulated. He pointed out that government remains sensitive to the plight of Nigerians and doing its best to address the issues raised by labour; adding that the only solution to the economic crisis is dialogue; while calling on labour to exhibit flexibility in its demand.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Governor urged the NLC to be flexible in its demands to promote industrial harmony in the country.
"There must be no absolute positions in this matter; there must be flexibility of thoughts, willingness to dialogue, and willingness to provide alternatives. Sometimes the government gets it wrong; when we get it wrong, we expect you to give us advice, suggestions and solutions that will work," he said.
The governor noted that workers had the right to ask for an enhanced minimum wage and electoral reforms.
"The workers have the freedom to speak, the freedom to ask questions and the freedom to ask for representations because they pay the taxes that keep us in power and they must not lose those freedoms. But let us recognise that rights are not absolute; it comes with responsibilities. Freedoms also come with duties; we must be ready to perform our duties as we ask for our rights", he said.
Meanwhile, NLC has described yesterday's public protest as a successful and peaceful exercise.
Secretary-General of NLC, Comrade John Odah, in a post rally assessment, told THISDAY over the telephone that the demonstration went smoothly and without any breach of law and order as was being feared by government.
"The rally went on well; we marched from the stadium through the major roads to Alausa, the seat of power of Lagos State Government to deliver our protest letter. Although, there was no violence of any sort, neither was there any social disorder during the protest march", he said.
Odah, who was just leaving Alausa after the protest when THISDAY called him, said members of the organised labour and their allies were going back to review the rally and to map out strategies for subsequent ones in other cities in the country.
By Linda Eroke, Jerome Ushakang in Lagos and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
