General strike begins in Nigeria as offices, markets, streets deserted
The strike could also have global economic consequences if it forces already soaring world oil prices any higher, and observers here fear it could trigger further bloody unrest in the frequently unstable west African giant.
www.chinaview.cn 2004-06-10 05:13:23
by Lin Xiaochun
LAGOS, June 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Millions of Nigerians deserted offices, markets, and highways Wednesday in the observance of a stay-at-home order from the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC), while the labor union vowed to continue the strike until the government brings down fuel prices.
The strike, which almost certainly would paralyze the economy in the world's sixth largest oil exporter, began midnight Tuesday after negotiations between the NLC and the government over spiraling fuel prices hit a deadlock earlier that day.
On Wednesday, Nigeria's major highways were abandoned like a grave yard for fear of violence, even street children would not come out begging. Wanderers also abandoned their hide outs under bridges on major roads.
Open vans filed with fierce looking policemen on patrol could be spotted here and there on the roads. But unlike last year's strike, in which at least 12 protesters were killed by the police,Wednesday's strike took place in the country's commercial center Lagos without a single arrest because "the situation was calm; no problems," police authorities said.
Banks, filling stations, shops and markets remained closed under burglary proof, exactly the way their owners left them at the close of work Tuesday.
"There is no work today, but it has afforded us a good play time" said Jude Mordi, goal keeper of a team of footballers that had converted the lonely street at Abule Egba, a suburb of Lagos to a football field.
Only children and youths playing soccer on deserted streets, pickpockets on the look out for potential victims and commercial motorcyclists who emerged sporadically to lift frustrated commuters at a cutthroat prices were the few ones to have violatedthe NLC stay-at-home order.
Although Nigerians only pay a fraction of what Europeans pay for petroleum, people in the OPEC country have a strong belief intheir right to a deep discount of the petrol price.
The dispute over domestic fuel prices began last June, when thegovernment abolished long-standing fuel subsidies and price controls. Nigeria's workers staged an eight-day strike a month later, but their two subsequent planned walkouts, in October last year and January 2004, did not materialize.
On May 28, Nigeria's marketers raised petrol prices with a liter going for about 50 naira (36 US cents), up from 43 naira 31 cents with similar increases in the prices of kerosene and diesel.
Three days later, Nigeria's labor led by the NLC, gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to bring down the prices to the pre-fuel tax regime when petrol sold for 38 naira (27 cents) per liter.
On Tuesday, Nigeria's Federal High Court in capital Abuja ordered the NLC to refrain from embarking on the planned strike. It also ordered the government to revert fuel prices back to their old levels.
However, NLC President Adams Oshiomhole said later in the day that the order was a trick by the government. He also told reporters the meeting with government officials to look for a way to resolve their differences had broken down and Wednesday's strike would go ahead.
After a visit to some filling stations in Abuja Wednesday, Oshiomhole said the strike would continue until marketers complied fully to the court order.
Oshiomhole said: "The information we are getting doesn't suggest the government has complied" though it gave the promise Tuesday.
"We regret to say that the strike continues until government demonstrates integrity by matching words with action," he added.
Meanwhile, the NLC distributed pamphlets, some of them carrying inscriptions such as: "We asked for bread, government gave us dread," "we asked for fuel they gave us duel."
In response to NLC's accusation, Nigerian Information Minister Chukwuemeka Chikelu said Wednesday that there "may be a consequence on marketers" that do not comply with the court order.
He added that anybody who had not reverted to the old price hadbreached the law and that it would be a "legal matter."
"It is a court ruling and not a federal government ruling and therefore all parties to the crisis must comply."
In Abuja, policemen have been dispatched to various filling stations to ensure fuel is sold at the old price of 38 naira (27 cents) per liter, though most of them were closed.
However, local reports said a liter of petrol is now sold for 60 naira (43 cents) at some filling stations in the southern stateof Ebonyi.
Amid the nationwide strike, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo left for the United States as planned on Wednesday to attend the G-8 summit. But Chikelu defended his trip, saying it was in the interest of the west African country.
Although it is world's sixth largest oil exporting nation, Nigeria has resorted to fuel importation to meet domestic consumption for years because its four refineries are unable to operate normally. Enditem
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