LABOUR: Panic Food Buying as Nigerians Brace for a Long Strike

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

LAGOS, Oct 6 2003 (IPS) - Past experiences have taught Nigerians an important lesson: always stockpile food before any industrial action.

This is exactly what they are doing now.

The eight-day strike in July forced most Nigerians indoors without much money and food. It is a mistake they do not want to repeat.

On Monday hundreds of thousands of panic-stricken Nigerians besieged banks to withdraw money and stockpile food stuff in readiness for another round of industrial action called for Thursday by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The congress is protesting last week’s hike in the price of fuel by about 12 percent.

”I do not want to be caught off guard again. During the last strike, I was almost begging my neighbours for food to feed my family. That is why I am in the bank today (Monday) to withdraw some money to buy food. The organisers have warned that the strike will be worse than the previous ones. So I do not want to take chances,” said Laiwola Adedo, an artisan.

No one knows how long the strike would last. ”I will stay at home for as long as the NLC directs. We have to see the strike through . but we also need to eat, while at home,” said Janet Dauda, a civil servant in Lagos, queuing in the bank.

At the weekend meeting, the NLC insisted that the increment in the prices of fuel negated the last agreement between the congress and government. That agreement fixed the price of petrol at 34 Naira (34 U.S. cents) per litre, while that of diesel and kerosene at 32 Naira (32 U.S. cents) per litre. Before the last increases, petrol was selling for 22 Naira (22 U.S. cents) a litre, while diesel and Kerosene were going for 19 Naira (19 U.S. cents) a litre.

Since the current increases, some fuel operators have been shutting down their filling stations in order to create artificial scarcity and force new prices. As a result, a litre of petrol now costs up to 45 Naira (45 U.S. cents) in Lagos, while the same amount of the product is sold for 100 Naira (one U.S. dollars) in the northern state of Bauchi.

However, the government has denied approving the increase. But the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), set up by the state, lifted subsidies on petroleum products which has caused the cost of fuel to jump by about 12 percent.

Adams Oshiomhole, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, has expressed bitterness over government’s decision to renege on the agreement reached in June before the last industrial action.

”If for eight days Nigerians made all the sacrifice just to be able to communicate to their president that they cannot afford this level of price . it is shocking that government would re-introduce the same price hike three and a half months later, and this time even in a manner more annoying,” he said.

Oshiomhole is also surprised that government has taken the decision to increase the price of fuel on the eve of the All-Africa Games, which is costing Nigeria an estimated 700 million U.S. dollars to host.

Over 50 African countries are taking part in the games, the continent’s equivalent of the Olympics, which began on Oct. 4.

”Nigerians have to decide to fight once and for all. They should let the president know that he cannot rule Nigerians without their consent,” Oshiomhole said.

On Tuesday the NLC will brief the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties about the impending strike.

Femi Borishade, General Secretary of the National Conscience Party, said: ”We have no other country than Nigeria. We have no choice but to fight collectively for our economic and political freedom. Obasanjo has increased fuel price by 275 percent since he come to power in 1999. Whose interest is he protecting?” Borishade asked in a statement at the weekend.

The United Action for Democracy, a coalition of 36 pro-democracy and human rights groups, has also said it would join the mass protest.

Ibrahim Zikirullahi, General Secretary of the coalition, said: ”Coming about 10 weeks after Nigerians fought against a similar increase, show the level of insensitivity of the government to the plight of the people. Since Obasanjo believes so much in higher fuel prices as dictated by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank against the wishes of our people, we call on him to resign now. The increase is unacceptable. It is a complete declaration of war on the Nigerian People”.

Foreign airlines have been warned not to fly into the country during the strike for their own safety and for the safety of their passengers, as aviation workers would be joining the strike.

Clever Nnorom, president of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, said their members have been given the directive to sit at home. ”We have mobilised our members for the nationwide strike,” he said.

He said workers would only withdraw their services but the airspace will remain open. ”Whatever arrangement they will need to keep the airspace open because of emergency, is left to the management,” Nnorom said.

Banks will also remain closed during the period of the strike. National President of the Association of Senior staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Princewill Ojeh, urged government to revert to the old price before Thursday.

”President Obasanjo and his officials have all their requirements, including petroleum products paid for by our taxes and can understandably allow these products to be sold to the masses at an ever increasing price,” Ojeh said.

The bitterness is widespread.

”If Obasanjo thinks we voted for him to make life difficult for us, then he should think again. Nobody is going to take such a thing from him. I am happy the NLC is threatening mass protest. Nigerians must support the action at least to tell the president and his advisers that in democracy things are not done that way,” said a man who gave his name only as Okolo.

Members of the federal House of Representatives Wednesday adjourned sitting to protest the increase, which they argued will worsen the plights of Nigerians. Around 70 percent of Nigerians live below the poverty line of one U.S. dollar a day, according to the World Bank.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, has ordered his men and officers to patrol the streets of Lagos. He warned them against any reckless use of firearms, and advised protesters to be law abiding.

Nigeria, the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world, supplies about two million barrels a day to the world market.