President Goodluck Jonathan attacked on facebook over fuel subsidy

President Goodluck Jonathan has come under serious attack with many Nigerians taking to the president's Facebook page to vent their anger against the removal of fuel subsidy by the government.

Daily Trust's checks on the president's page showed that his New Year message, which was posted on the site, has attracted more 7000 comments, mostly criticising the government for ending the fuel subsidy regime. Some even went as far as calling the president in unprintable names.

In his post, Matthew Arikanki said "When Nigerians voted for President Goodluck Jonathan, they thought now they have their man at the seat of government, that he will take decisions that will alleviate the suffering of the masses. But we were wrong."

Justice Emeka Obi said "Mr President is taking us to the biblical Golgotha- a place of misery, destitution and death. We must stop him now before we get there."

Adebayo Ibikunle Farounbi said "Mr President Sir, laudable as your achievements in 2011 seems, your 1st step in 2012 has rubbished them."

Shaman Felix Egi-Jesu said "Mr President, God pass you. I have been stuck in traffic at Lokoja for the past one hour. We truly love your fresh air"

Adeolu Paul said "Can somebody tell me: is Jonathan a disgrace to the entire academic world or to his alma mata?"

Amaechi Anakpe said "Why not experiment with say 25% subsidy removal and show Nigerians the benefit thereof before a dive into abyss. I only pray the complexes that abound now do not consume our entity and cohesion."

Some of the president's however pleaded with Nigerians to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Chris Okechukwu Dike said, "Nigerians should please give Goodluck a chance and let history be the judge. He is anxious to serve the nation well. Example is power, regular fuel, aviation and works. God bless us."

Mike Omeri said "If Okonjo-Iweala, Allison-Madueke and Aganga are World Bank/IMF agents and that is why they pushed for subsidy removal, I know for a fact that Lamido Sanusi is not and he was pushing for subsidy removal even before Iweala came on board. Oshiomhole, labour leader per excellence, (I'm not necessarily saying he's a good governor) supports the subsidy removal and has said as much to his labour union colleagues. If Sanusi and Oshiomhole support the subsidy removal, there must be some sense in it. Let's rally round the government to ensure the policy works for all of us."

Daily Trust

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Mass protests across Nigeria over fuel subsidies

Mass protests rocked many state capitals and adjoining towns yesterday as Nigerians registered their anger against the removal of fuel subsidy.

The state capitals, including Lagos, Kaduna, Makurdi, Lokoja, Osogbo, Ilorin and Benin, erupted in street protests propelled mainly by angry youths and civil society groups, who insisted that the Federal Government must reverse its decision on removal of subsidy.

The protests, which started in city centres and spread to important locations and streets, occurred in the state capitals 24 hours before the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress, the two umbrella labour bodies in the country, met to take an official position on Saturday's fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

However, while the mass protests have recorded their first casualty in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, with the death of a middle-aged man, commercial and traffic activities were yesterday grounded in many places in the country consequent upon the demonstrations and hike in fares.

Hard hit was Lagos, the nation's commercial capital, where wide public demonstration organised by the Joint Action Front (JAF) against the subsidy removal stretched from Yaba through the long stretch of Ikorodu Road to Maryland and Ojota, the popular exit to other states from the metropolis.

In his speech at the Nigeria Labour Congress Lagos (NLC) office at Tejuoso , Yaba, where the demonstration took off, the JAF President-General, Dr. Dipo Fashina, said their action is a clarion call to President Goodluck Jonathan to rescind the fuel subsidy removal with immediate effect, or face the wrath of Nigerians.

He advised the president not to take Nigerians for a ride by taking a unilateral decision on the controversial issue like the fuel subsidy removal, which affects every aspect of Nigerians.

Thousands of people joined the Lagos rallies yesterday as protesters moved through Yaba, Maryland and Ojota trailed by bonfires on the roads.

The protesters marched from NLC Lagos Headquarters office in Yaba through Ojuelegba junction towards the Ikorodu-Ojota Expressway, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with various anti-subsidy removal captions, some of which read: 'Jonathan is worse than Boko-Haram;' 'Jonathan is a traitor;' Jonathan, leave the masses to decide their fate;' 'Goodluck is becoming Badluck now;' 'PDP, ACN, CPC are the same;' Okonjo-Iweala and World Bank, leave Nigeria now;' 'NLC, TUC, declare national strike now,' among others.

The long trek by the protesters caused a gridlock on the stretch of the ever busy Ikorodu expressway and stranded commuters were held up for hours.

Lagos-based lawyer and social critic, Chief Femi Falana, who joined the protest on solidarity note, declined comment, but promised to address the press later.

Other notable Nigerians at the rally include NLC's National Vice-President, Comrade Isa Aremu, wife of the late Gani Fawehmi, Chief (Mrs.) Ganiat Fawehmi, Funmi Iyanda, among others.

Iyanda, in a chat with the press, asked President Jonathan to curb corruption and refurbish the refineries, as well as the rail system to serve as palliatives before removing subsidy on fuel products.

'Fight corruption first; put infrastructure in place to ameliorate the suffering of the people before deregulating,' she said.

On the issue of timing, she said: 'Timing or no timing, people must fight and demand for their right. Nigeria cannot continue this way; we are in the eighteenth century and we must move forward. If the people of Nigeria keep quiet, then we will be dead.

'Therefore, the timing cannot be right until certain things have been put in place. You have to show the people that you care; you have to put certain palliatives in form of infrastructure in place. This is not the time you have to begin to talk of subsidy removal.'

Mrs. Ganiat Fawehinmi, while addressing the protesters at Maryland, Lagos, asked Jonathan to tell Nigerians how the new pump price of petroleum products, especially, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or petrol) currently at N141 per litre was arrived at.

She called on Nigerians to demand trial of former military president Ibrahim Babangida over the disappearance of alleged N12.8 billion oil windfall Nigeria earned during the Gulf War.

She accused Nigeria's former military leaders of siphoning and squandering the country's monies during their rule over the years at the detriment of Nigerians.

'Nigerians should ask Babangida where is our N12.8 billion oil wind fall. The Nigerian leaders have continued to embezzle our money, which is presently starched away in foreign banks; Abacha, during his tenure, did the same thing, Abdulsalami Abubakar did the same thing, Obasanjo did the same thing. Now, President Jonathan is doing the same thing,' she said.

She stated that, 'This time we all say no to fuel price increase, because with that, food prices will increase, house rents will increase, transport fares will increase, school fees will increase,' adding that the fuel price increase has made nonsense of the minimum wage.

Comrade Aremu commended Nigerians fighting spirit over the raging issue by turning out enmass to reject the subsidy removal, describing the protest as a 'struggle for second independence of Nigerians from the privileged few in power.' He said that Nigerians cannot sit and watch the present administration take them.

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Chelsea offers John Mikel Obi for sale

The days of Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi, at his Premier League club, Chelsea, is numbered as the outfit is seeking to offload him.

Mikel has been a regular feature on Blues' line up since arriving the club in 2005 but his playing time has been impaired lately with the emergence of certain Oriol Romeu.

The Spanish starlet has really limited the playing time of the Nigerian midfielder this season because coach Andre Villa-Boas has considered him as an integral part of his long-term plan.

According to the Express Chelsea are ready to splash the cash as Stamford Bridge owner, Roman Abramovich, looks to flex his financial muscles and attempt to push his West London club onwards and upwards towards both Man City and Man United at the top of the Premier League.

Despite Villas-Boas's fairly average performance as Blues boss, the young Portuguese manager will be handed funds to mount significant raids to land four top class players either next month or more likely in the summer.

To help make way for new additions, Villas-Boas will apparently listen to offers for seven of his first team squad.

Among those said to be on their way are John Obi Mikel, Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Alex and Florent Malouda. There is also growing speculation that midfielder and fan favourite Frank Lampard may seek to leave after being told that he wasn't guaranteed first team football.

Chelsea boss, Villas-Boas, is looking to reverse the ageing nature of the club's squad and has brought in youngsters like Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata and Romeu and has trusted more to youthful members of the squad he inherited, the most prominent example of which has seen youngster, Daniel Sturridge, go from strength to strength.

Chelsea owner, Abramovich, will reportedly hand Villas-Boas £150 million to invest in the following four players.

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Boko Haram gives ultimatum to Christians

 

A purported spokesman for Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has issued an ultimatum to Christians in the country's north and threatened to confront troops after the president declared a state of emergency in hard hit areas.

Abul Qaqa, who has spoken on behalf of the group blamed for scores of attacks in Africa's most populous nation numerous times in the past, said he was giving southerners living in the north a three-day ultimatum to leave.

"We find it pertinent to state that soldiers will only kill innocent Muslims in the local government areas where the state of emergency was declared," he told journalists in a phone conference late Sunday.

"We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers."

Speaking in the Hausa language common throughout the north, Qaqa said "we also wish to call on our fellow Muslims to come back to the north because we have evidence that they would be attacked.

"We are also giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away."

Boko Haram is believed to include different factions with varying aims. Its structure remains unclear and other people have claimed to speak on its behalf.

Nigeria's 160 million population is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

Muslims have been victims of Boko Haram attacks, but a wave of Christmas day bombings particularly targeting churches set off fears of retaliation from Christians.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday in parts of four states hard hit by violence blamed on Boko Haram.

The declaration came in response to scores of attacks attributed to Boko Haram, particularly the bombings on Christmas that killed 49 people, most of them in a gruesome blast at a Catholic church outside Abuja as services were ending.

Qaqa also criticised Jonathan for visiting the church, where 44 died in the explosion, on Saturday.

"The President had never visited any of the theatres were Muslims were massacred," he said, naming areas where scores of Muslims were killed in post-election riots in April.

While Boko Haram has been carrying out increasingly deadly attacks for months, including an August suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja that left 25 dead, the Christmas violence sparked intense fear and outrage.

It also led to warnings from Christian leaders that they would defend themselves if such attacks continued, raising deep concern.

While declaring the state of emergency in Africa's largest oil producer, Jonathan acknowledged that the attacks "have threatened our collective security and shaken the foundations of our corporate existence as a nation."

It was declared in parts of the states of Borno, where Boko Haram has traditionally had its base, as well as Niger, Plateau and Yobe.

In the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, residents reported increased patrols on Monday. Soldiers had been entering homes in search of weapons and bombs, they said.

After the searches, soldiers told residents to report any unusual behaviour or abandoned vehicles which may contain planted bombs.

AFP

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Mass Protests on the horizon over fuel prices

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared a showdown with the Federal Government through mass protests and strikes until the price of petrol is reversed to N65 per litre.

The leadership of the labour movements in a joint statement issued yesterday directed their state councils to take steps to resist any price above N65 per litre of PMS, and await a date for the commencement of general strikes and mass protests across the country.

Nigerians were also urged to begin mobilisation for the commencement of the protests.

In the statement signed by the NLC's Acting General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, and his TUC counterpart, Comrade John Kolawole, the congresses said the action of the Presidency at this period when Nigerians were mourning the victims of recent bomb blasts showed "insensitivity and callousness".

The Federal Government was also accused of thriving on falsehood as it had recently told Nigerians that consultations were still going on with various stakeholders including oganised labour and if any fuel subsidy was being contemplated, it would be with effect from April 1, 2012.

"We also have information that it intends to make a litre of PMS N150.00 and then ask the NNPC to reduce the price at its fuel stations by a few naira. Nigerians must defeat whatever are the schemes of this government," the statement read.

While expressing the readiness of organised labour to engage in a long drawn battle, the statement called on the National Assembly and governors to side with the people over the matter.

The labour unions urged the police and other security personnel not to accept any order to shoot protesting Nigerians or attack them, noting that there would be insistence that any officer who does so will be brought to justice.

"We also put the Jonathan Presidency and its surrogates on notice that we shall ensure that they are prosecuted up to the International Criminal Court if they, by acts of commission or omission spill the blood of any Nigerian over the protests that follow their inhuman acts against the people," the congresses warned.

The statement added that the leadership of the NLC and TUC would jointly issue directives in the next few days on the date the organised national strikes, street demonstrations and mass protests would commence.

President General of TUC, Comrade Peter Esele, viewed the latest development as "a stab in the back" by the Federal Government who only last week entered into a dialogue with the organised labour in a bid to forestall a looming anarchy.

He explained that the action of government was a total declaration of war on the "poor masses who are being punished by an inefficient system that is anchored on few corrupt oil thieves who are major sponsors and backers of government".

He disclosed that the National Executive Council (NEC) of TUC would meet in the next few days to take a firm decision on the issue.

"The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) rejects without reservation the reported removal of petroleum subsidy by the Federal Government as announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) executive secretary Reginald Stanley, which ushered in an anti-people based price of N141 per litre. This is unacceptable to us and to the Nigerian masses who have been ambushed by a government they expressively gave a popular mandate to represent them some few months back.

"We are surprised that the government could proceed to implement the removal without recourse to the National Assembly who all available indices indicate that they have not given it any legislative backing neither was it mentioned in the 2012 national budget.

"This action by President Goodluck Jonathan is therefore dictatorial, undemocratic and a total declaration of war on the poor masses of this country who are being punished by an inefficient system that is anchored on few corrupt oil thieves who are major sponsors and backers of government. This is why the government cannot muster enough political will to arrest and prosecute them. What we expect the Federal Government through the PPPRA to do is to tackle the corruption in the system first before this present action.

"For the avoidance of doubt, TUC insists that until new refineries are built and the old or existing ones are made to function optimally, there cannot be a removal of petroleum subsidy. Therefore, TUC on behalf of the Nigerian workers and the masses have declared a dispute of interest with the Federal Government," he said.

Also, a civil society group, the Joint Action Front (JAF), has called for civil disobedience to force the Federal Government to rescind its pronouncement.

The statement jointly signed by the group's Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Dipo Fashina and Comrade Abiodun Aremu, respectively, urged Nigerians to turn up en-mass for the protest.

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