The six-day national strike and protest against the withdrawal of petrol subsidies by the federal government may have come and gone. But the thrills and frills of the strike will linger for some time to come. Olaolu Olusina with additional reports from Paul Obi in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano recapture the experience

Mrs. Betty Press will not forget her recent visit to the country in a hurry. Apparently on her maiden trip to the world's most populous black nation, the associate professor of Photo Journalism at the University of Southern Mississippi, USA, was quite excited at the prospect of her visit, during which she was expected as a guest lecturer at the 13th edition of the Professor Bassey Andah Memorial Lecture scheduled to hold in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

But the American professor couldn't make it down to Calabar as she was stranded in Lagos, having been caught in the web of the national strike and protests organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress as well as civil society organanisations against the removal of the subsidy on petrol by the federal government.

For six working days starting penultimate week, the country was practically brought to a halt as economic and other commercial activities were paralysed by national outrage against the withdrawal of the subsidy which Nigerians had enjoyed for years.

The removal of the subsidy had seen the price of petrol jump from N65 to NI41 per litre. The federal government, however, was forced to back down last week by fixing the price at N97 last week, a decision that brought some measure of relief and gradual return of peace to the country.

But beyond the political and economic rationalisations for the controversial subsidy removal, the national strike and protests brought with them some comical and thrilling moments that sustained the momentum, thereby, making the entire exercise not only a success but quite revealing at the same time.

From Abuja to Lagos and from Kano to Ilorin, protesters were united as they brought forth the creativity in them for a common cause. And for the first time in recent times, a message was sent to the government that despite the much touted benefits of the subsidy removal, Nigerians would no longer be taken for a ride.

Multiple Freedom/Liberation Grounds

In Abuja, for instance, many had thought the protests would take place at the Eagle Square but the government had mapped out a plan to prevent the use of the place in view of the incessant cases of bombings in the nation's capital and its environs in recent times. Accordingly, all roads leading to Eagle Square were therefore. But this could not deter the leaders of the labour unions and civil society organisations as they changed their plans by searching for other venues and routes for their rallies.

Multiple freedom and liberation grounds therefore emerged in the city. Labour union leaders had decided to name these locations as such. Berger Juction, where three prominent roads named after three Nigerian nationalists - the Nnamdi Azikiwe Highway, Herbert Macauley Road and Obafemi Awolowo Road converge - suddenly became the epicentre of the protests. For the unionists and protesters, the Berger juction was not only a converging point, but a symbol and cradle of the NLC/TUC battle against the removal of the subsidy.

The Wuse Market Junction was also another focal point that protesters turned into their abode to press home their grievances against the fuel subsidy removal. Chicken House Juction along IBB Boulevard where the road intersects with Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent was the terminating point of the protest from Monday to Wednesday. Area One junction was also another location used by the protesters. Addressing protesters on the first day of the protest, NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, alongside his TUC counterpart, Peter Esele, said Nigerians would not heed to government's position.

Power Bikes

One unique aspect with the Abuja protest was not just the high turnout of protesters but the acrobatic display of the power bikers. As known with such events in recent times in Abuja, renowned musician, Charles Oputa, a.k.a Charly Boy, led the way during the protest.

After the union leaders and protesters had converged and the day's activities were read out as well as the message to the government, the power bikes led the way, where most of the bikers displayed various acrobatic displays to the admiration and applause of on-lookers.

Muslim, Christians Unite

Though the protest might have come and gone, it conquered many grounds and broke religious barriers that were hitherto a-no-go area. One of such was the observation of prayers by both Muslims and Christians and casting out of demons on the same location simultaneously. As protesters marched along Abuja streets, at each of the meeting points (Wuse 2 and Area One junctions), whenever Muslims started their afternoon prayer sessions with the call to prayer, Allah A'khBar Wu, Christians in return would chant, "Holy Ghost Fire", "Subsidy Removal Fire" and all sorts of incantations. Sometimes, Christians would construct a human barricade to shield Muslims from intruders before they commenced their own prayer sessions and vice versa. It was a rare scene that had not been witnessed in the city for many years.

The Melaye, Igodomigodo Jinks

One man who got considerable mileage in television appearances and newspaper coverage remains former House of Representatives member, Hon.

Dino Melaye. First, he was arrested for leading a protest against the subsidy removal which was premised on the fact that he lacked the locus standi to do so.

Then, came his decision to ride a bicycle from his house in Wuse to African Independent Television premises in Asokoro. Riding a bicycle by Melaye provided comic relief during the protest, but the symbolism was not lost on the public. Beside the bicycle episode, Dino's numerous stunts added colour to the protest. Though, many accuse him of trying to get cheap publicity, the chants of "Dino, Dino, Dino, Dino" by protesters could not be waved aside.

Another former House member whose appearance also spiced up the protest was Hon. Patrick Obagbion, a.k.a Igodomigodo. His use of grandiloquent words was very entertaining for the protesters, to the extent that many demanded for an encore from the former House member from Edo State. In one of his speeches before the protesters, he described government subsidy removal as a "Cabalocracy." With their presence, the subsidy protest in Abuja was more or less a carnival, as it held the crowd spell-bound.

Beggars in Battle for Survival

It was different strokes in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, a city known as the home of Muslim clerics. While many of the Imams of the various mosques used the opportunity to take a swipe at the federal government in their purported identification with the strike, beggars in the city became aggressive in the battle for survival as they went begging for alms from people already engrossed with the strike.

Many beggars, who were in the habit of staying at particular intersections on the city's streets, resorted to walking about in search of those that could give alms, particularly when they saw some people handling money in public.

Hoodlums Reign Supreme

However, hoodlums hijacked the peaceful protest organised by labour and civil society groups in Ilorin as they reportedly assaulted people, stole and burnt property. Mandate House, the campaign office of all Peoples Democratic Party candidates in the last election located on Western Reservoir Road, Adewole Housing Estate Area, was damaged and burnt, while party goods were also carted away by the hoodlums. Goods carted away by the hoodlums at the Mandate House included bags of rice, a large number of mobile phones, and bundles of PDP campaign material, while three campaign buses, party documents and part of the building were also damaged and burnt.

Lagos was not left of the menace of hoodlums and armed robbery attacks. During the strike, crime rose sharply in the city and no party of Lagos was immune from wild-eyed young men, who could not ply their trade for the six days of the strike, and had resorted to setting up barricades on roads to rob motorists of their money and personal belongings. Those that resisted were either molested, beaten or had their windshield or car windows smashed. Similarly, there was an increase in car snatching in Lagos during the period of the strike.

As if that was not bad enough, public infrastructure such as roads in the state was destroyed as miscreants set up bourne fires on major roads especially in the mainland. Lagos also became particularly filthy as workers of the Lagos State Waste Management Agency were unable to clean the streets for the duration of the strike.

Commercial Sex Workers Show Solidarity

In Kano, commercial sex workers, also known as "run girls", visibly participated in the protest, on the grounds that the subsidy removal would also affect their business because nobody will patronise them. Speaking to THISDAY on the condition of anonymity, a commercial sex worker plying her trade on Enugu Road lamented the effect of the strike on her customers. "We are on strike now because most of our customers are on strike, so we have to suspend the business till when the labour calls off the strike," some of the girls told this newspaper in an interview.

Popular joints in the ancient city such as Enugu, Abedeen, Sani Giwa, Warri , Ijebu Roads all in Sabon-Gari were shadows of their former self, as commercial sex workers also placed a ban on their services during the period.

Song and Dance in Lagos

It was however carnival-like atmosphere in sections of Lagos where "Occupy Nigeria" protesters turned the protest into fun. The Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Park and the MKO Abiola Gardens, all in Ojota, became carnival grounds for Nigerians from all works of life. It was a big break for many Lagosians, though considered too early in the year. The consensus during the strike was, "If you are not in Ojota, you are not in Lagos," as protesters trekked long distances from different parts of the city to join in the fun at Ojota.

Many cultivated the habit of arriving the parks as early as 5 am to prepare the grounds for the day as many brought mats and beds. Street and food hawkers also had a field day as the made brisk business at the parks. Nollywood actors and actresses also added glamour to the protests with notable musicians entertaining the protesters alongside the activities lined up by labour and CSO leaders. Some of the leading names in Nollywood also used the opportunity to test their public speaking ability.

The artistes that appeared at the protest grounds included Kunle Afolayan, Yomi Blaq, Ufuoma Ejenobor, Toyin Aihmaku, Femi and Seun Kuti, Sir Shina Peters, AY.com, YQ, Skuki, Djinee, Saheed Osupa, Obesere, Klint da drunk, Seyi Law and Princess . Others included Eedris Abdulkareem, Olu Maintain, Salawa Abeni, Nigger Raw, JJC, Wasiu Alabi, Gbenga Adeyinka, and Desmond Elliot Popular actor Jide Kosoko, Bimbo Akintola, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, and top musicians like Abolore Akande (9ice), Ras Kimono and KWAM 1, among others were also there. Popular comedian and actor, Babatunde Omidina, a.k.a Baba Suwe, apparently used the opportunity to worm his ways back into the heart of his admirers after his ordeal with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency.

Like Abuja, Christians and Muslims were united more than ever at the carnival grounds while social media networking sites such as facebook and twitters were awash with reports on the "Ojota Carnival". On the Island and Ikoyi, protesters gathered in groups at the Tafawa Balewa Square and Falomo Roundabout from where they moved into Ikoyi in a carnival style showing a great deal of creativity and innovativeness as they moved round and popped open bottles of Champagne. Given that protesters from Lagos Island comprise of mostly the well-heeled of the society, it attracted a deluge men and women who seized the opportunity to make new acquaintances and forge relationships.

THISDAY also learnt that in the Abule-Egba area where the protests became violent and were almost hijacked by area boys and social miscreants, a woman hawking a local aphrodisiac called agbo offered the protesters free drinks of the product in a rare show of solidarity.

Overstretched Police

It was glaring that the Nigerian Police Force were overstretched and overwhelmed during the rallies and protests as they were unable to contain the activities of the hoodlums who later hijacked the rallies and protests in some parts of Lagos. Police stations were apparent empty throughout the city as personnel had been moved to trouble spots.

Along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Sango-Abule-Egba Road, Lekki-Epe Expressway and Third Mainland Bridge, miscreants mounted their own road barricades, in some instances, about a few metres away from those mounted by the police as they forced road users to part with their money and became violent, smashing vehicles in some instances.

But the so-called hoodlums and area boys were discovered to be artisans, street hawkers, bus drivers and conductors who normally live from hands to mouth on a daily basis, but had been forced out of business for the six days of the strike. "It's a game of survival as these boys have to eat. It shows the level of poverty in the land," an observer of the development told THISDAY.

Lessons Learnt

Many Nigerians believe that the most important lesson learnt from the strike is than Nigerians despite their differences can be united for common purposes, a phenomenon that can be used for forging unity in the country. "Nigerians have never been as united as this," Adekunle Adeoye, a student who was part of the Ojota rally told THISDAY.

It also brought the creativity in the citizenry and despite the hardship and inconvenience many went through, the expression of hope in the country has never been expressed as during the six-day strike and protests.