NIGERIA: Government supporters in Bayelsa hold a rally to plead with the Nigeria Labour Congress to accept the planned removal of oil subsidies

Record ID: 235463

  • Title: NIGERIA: Government supporters in Bayelsa hold a rally to plead with the Nigeria Labour Congress to accept the planned removal of oil subsidies
  • Date: 12th January 2012
  • Summary: BAYELSA, NIGERIA (JANUARY 11, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRO-SUBSIDY PROTESTERS WITH PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN'S BANNER VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS ON THE STREETS WITH THEIR IDENTITY FLAG OF IJAW (LOCAL TRIBE) MOVEMENT PLACARD RAISED, PROTESTER SAYING: "BOKO HARAM IS MORE DEADLY THAN THE HOLOCAUST A PLACARD SAYING: "KILLINGS OF IGBO CHRISTIANS IS UNJUST, WHAT HAS THE LABOUR UNION DONE ABOUT IT" (SOUNDBITE) (English) JON-JON ONIFERE, IJAW YOUTH LEADER, SAYING: "We are not protesting because Jonathan is from the Southern part but because what the federal government just introduced will lead to creation of jobs and Goodluck is introducing productive economy, Goodluck is saying corruption is mainly caused by the civil servants and NNPC and in order to check this, the oil subsidy has to go. What we see as a problem is the state of insecurity in the country; everyday our brothers are killed in the North, churches are burnt, no Labour group has gone on strike because of that." VARIOUS IJAW PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS CROWD OF PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) OWOUPELE PEREKEME, SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "We know the people responsible for these things and one word from us - we stand by Mr. President and we are ready to face the consequence. We say this to those who are bent on frustrating him because this the first time an Ijaw man is ruling this country and this is the first time he has taken a best decision. We are ready to take every measure to protect Mr. president." VARIOUS OF CROWD AT THE RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLES TAYLOR, YOUTH LEADER, SAYING: "We advise those multi-national companies in our lands to leave in 48 hours. We need our oil to be closed down, in as much they can use the money from oil to develop our region" VARIOUS CROWD
  • Embargoed: 27th January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA608XJDAF6GB5RL045CSVZU3L
  • Story Text: A massive solidarity march was staged on Wednesday (January 11) by political leaders, ex-militants and youth groups in Nigeria's Bayelsa State to drum up support for President Goodluck Jonathan over the controversial decision to remove a subsidy on fuel. The protesters asked labour leaders, threatening on Wednesday to shut down oil production and export terminals, to negotiate with the Government.
    Supporting the youths' pro-government action, elders and traditional rulers in the State under the aegis of Bayelsa State Elders Consultative Council have also appealed to the organized labour and civil society groups to exercise restraint in their opposition of the removal of the subsidy on petrol by the Federal Government.
    The government and the unions have been locked in a showdown which has paralysed Nigeria for three days. Workers have vowed to keep up an indefinite strike unless the government restored a fuel subsidy it scrapped on Jan. 1, but Jonathan's government said it would withhold pay from civil servants who join it. Protests have mostly been peaceful, but deadly confrontations with police have happened in Lagos and the second largest city, Kano.
    Wednesday's solidarity march, coordinated and guided by the Leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council, moved through major streets in Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa and young speakers addressed the crowds with speeches in support of the Federal Government urging people to trust the president.
    Jon-Jon Onifere, former president of the Ijaw Youth Council, said removing the fuel subsidy would stimulate the economy.
    ""We are not protesting because Jonathan is from the Southern part but because what the federal government just introduced will lead to creation of jobs and Goodluck is introducing productive economy," he said.
    Youth movement spokesman, Owoupele Perekeme, also appealed for confidence in the president's policies.
    "We know the people responsible for these things and one word from us - we stand by Mr. President and we are ready to face the consequences," he said.
    Elders and traditional rulers from Bayelsa State argued that president Jonathan was an experienced statesman who had good reason to bring about such an unpopular move.
    The IMF has urged countries across West and Central Africa to cut fuel subsidies, which it says are ineffective in directly aiding the poor, but do promote corruption and smuggling.
    Last month, Ghana abandoned subsidies for fuel - a move that raised pump prices by 15 percent. It will save Ghana the 450 million cedis ($276 million) it spent on subsidies in 2011.
    Cameroon was expected to spend about $600 million by the end of 2011 on fuel subsidies. Chad was criticised for raising the price of locally produced fuel and consumers have threatened to buy their petrol in Cameroon.
    One youth leader at the pro-government march, Charles Taylor, said he would prefer Nigeria's oil to stay in Nigeria to guarantee revenues were returned to the people and not multinationals.
    "We advise those multi-national companies in our lands to leave in 48 hours. We need our oil to be closed down," he said.
    Petrol prices have more than doubled in a month as a result of the scrapping of the subsidy and unions said they would decide by Wednesday afternoon whether or not to shut down oil output saying they were preparing to move into the next phase of planned protests.
    Nigeria exports over 2 million barrels of crude oil per day and is a major supplier to the United States and Europe. Output has been unaffected so far but concerns about Nigerian supply can move global oil prices. Oil industry officials said a complete halt to oil exports was unlikely because processes are automated and some workers non-unionised. However, even a small dent in output would heap pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan's government, which relies on crude exports for 95 percent of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings and most of its state revenue.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register