Labour Strike/Protests: In Who’s Interest?

By Christopher Akor

After spending over N90 billion on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the nation’s refineries without much result, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo,  decided to sell 51% equity stake in the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries to a consortium – Bluestar Consortium Limited for a sum of $721m.  The consortium, made up of Dangote Oils (55%), Zenon Oil (25%), Rivers State Government (15%), and Transnational Corporation (5%), promised to get the refineries working at full capacity within months.  The process, which started in 2003, ended at the twilight of Obasanjo’s regime making people to suspect it was a parting gift to his associates.

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and the NNPC strongly opposed the deal and, after a two-day strike that completely shut down the economy, the barely two-week old government of late President Yar’Adua was forced to cancel the sale. The unions, as well as the NNPC, unanimously agreed that the NNPC was capable of turning around the fortunes of the refineries to make them function at 100% capacity within months. Yar’Adua consequently directed the NNPC to revamp the refineries. Also, in withdrawing from the deal, the consortium challenged the NNPC to resuscitate the refineries within one year or they (the consortium) will bid again for the refineries. But that was never to happen as the labour unions prevailed on the late President not to privatise the refineries.

Five years down the line, the refineries are still in a comatose state and the nation is reeling under the heavy cost of importation of refined petrol. Neither of the NNPC, NLC, PENGASSAN, or NUPENG has come out to explain why the refineries had not been fixed nor have they apologised for the role they played in stalling the sale of the refineries.  Their voices went dead until the Jonathan administration announced its plan to deregulate the downstream sector and remove subsidy payment. As if woken up from slumber, the rested activism started: labour started criticising government for failure to fix the refineries and threatening industrial action if government went ahead to remove the subsidy on petrol.

Adams Oshiomhole, the erstwhile labour leader, spent his entire labour presidency years leading campaigns and industrial actions against the Obasanjo government’s planned deregulation of the downstream sector and increase in the pump price of PMS. He got so popular in the process that he won governorship elections in Edo State. Now that he is governor, he has made a volte face and is now leading the campaign for the removal of subsidy on petrol. He is yet to tell Nigerians why he is now supporting a policy he so vigorously fought against and which gifted him the Edo State governorship seat.

John Atta Mills, the so-called Social Democrat, won the presidential elections in Ghana in 2008 on the strength of his virulent criticism of the Kuffor administration for increasing fuel prices to cut down on subsidy. Then Ghana was not an oil producing nation. Now he is the President and Ghana has joined the league of oil producing nation. Curiously, his government, on December 29, announced further cuts on subsidy sending petrol prices to about N186/litre. According to the government, “subsidising fuel is not sustainable, and removing it is the right thing to do, so we can sustain our fiscal consolidation.” Reminded of his criticism of his predecessor on the same matter, he quickly recanted saying he now understands that it is a necessary and right action to take.

Subsidy removal or increase in the pump price of petrol appears now to be a global trend. Yet it remains a very unpopular policy for any government to pursue. Citizens often revolt against such policies since it affects them directly. Herein lies the opportunity for opposition politicians and aspiring politicians to gain popularity.  The game plan is simple: be a leading critic of fuel subsidy removal, stage protests or lead workers in industrial actions against such policy, gain the support of the gullible masses, go into politics and with the support garnered, win elections and once in power, make a volte face and confess that you hadn’t seen the complete picture then and that you now understand that subsidy removal is the best policy. This line of action is made easier in a country where the government suffers from deficit trust.

This appears to be the path organised labour in Nigeria is threading. It opposes the deregulation of the industry and the privatization of the refineries, ensures government maintains control over the industry by fixing the price of PMS, and goes on strike every time a price increase is announced. Once the sector is deregulated and government hands-off price control, it loses the right or ability to go on strike or to protest price hikes. And since it has built its image around leading strikes to oppose hikes in pump prices of PMS, its fortunes may dwindle considerably and its leaders less popular as they are now.

In all of these, the poor masses are the real victims. They have had a very rough deal with government overtime and are understandably angry. Labour is now exploiting this anger to further their political and selfish interests. Like the Tea Party protests in the United States showed, many people could be seduced into demonstrating against their true interest. I strongly suspect that this is the case here. Sadly, either due to fear of adverse public opinion or the desire to appear to be on the side of the people, many intellectuals and leaders of thought have been pandering to popular sentiments and obfuscating the issue. Failed politicians and those with scores to settle with Jonathan have suddenly found their voices also and calling for the impeachment of the President.

A smart labour union would have known that deregulation is a question of ‘when’ not ‘if’ and would use this opportunity to press government to reduce the high cost and size of government.  But as it is, labour is only interested in the pump price of PMS and nothing else. If I understand the yearnings of most protesters, it is not so much about the removal of subsidy as about the over-bloated government, obscenely high recurrent expenditure and the almost criminal salaries of government officials. For now, while most Nigerians are asking the government to lead by example by drastically cutting down the cost of government, labour is more interested in fixing pump price of petrol knowing that sooner than later, government may want to tinker with the price again, and it will be another opportunity to mobilize Nigerians for another industrial action. For how long shall we continue like this?

cjakor@gmail.com

Tags: Ending fuel subsidy in Nigeria, Nigeria Labour Congress, Occupy Nigeria

Do Not be Afraid!

Most Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto

By Matthew Hassan Kukah

On Christmas day, a bomb exploded at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, in Niger State, killing over thirty people and wounding a significant number of other innocent citizens who had come to worship their God as the first part of their Christmas celebrations.

Barely two days later, we heard of the tragic and mindless killings within a community in Ebonyi State in which over sixty people lost their lives with property worth millions of naira destroyed and hundreds of families displaced. In the midst of all this, on New Year’s Day, the President announced the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and threw an already angry and frustrated nation into convulsion.

Right now, I feel like the friends of Job (Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar), who came to visit their sick friend and found the burden beyond comprehension. For, as we know, when they came and found Job in his condition, they spent seven days and seven nights, and uttered not a word (Job 2:13). Right now, no one can claim a full understanding of the state we are in. However, even if we cannot understand the issues of the moment, our faith compels us to understand that God’s hand is in all this. The challenge is for us to have the patience to let His will be done.

The tragedy in Madalla was seen as a direct attack on Christians. When Boko Haram claimed responsibility, this line of argument seemed persuasive to those who believed that these merchants of death could be linked to the religion of Islam. Happily, prominent Muslims rose in unison to condemn this evil act and denounced both the perpetrators and their acts as being un-Islamic. All of this should cause us to pause and ponder about the nature of the force of evil that is in our midst and to appreciate the fact that contrary to popular thinking, we are not faced with a crisis or conflict between Christians and Muslims. Rather, like the friends of Job, we need to humbly appreciate the limits of our human understanding.

In the last few years, with the deepening crises in parts of Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, and Plateau states, thanks to the international and national media, it has become fanciful to argue that we have crises between Christians and Muslims. Sadly, the knee-jerk reaction of some very uninformed religious leaders has lent credence to this false belief. To complicate matters, some of these religious leaders have continued to rally their members to defend themselves in a religious war. This has fed the propaganda of the notorious Boko Haram and hides the fact that this evil has crossed religious barriers. Let us take a few examples which, though still under investigation across the country, should call for restraint on our part.

Some time last year, a Christian woman went to her own parish Church in Bauchi and tried to set it ablaze. Again, recently, a man alleged to be a Christian, dressed as a Muslim, went to burn down a Church in Bayelsa. In Plateau State, a man purported to be a Christian was arrested while trying to bomb a Church. Armed men gunned down a group of Christians meeting in a Church and now it turned out that those who have been arrested and are under interrogation are in fact not Muslims and that the story is more of an internal crisis. In Zamfara State, 19 Muslims were killed. After investigation it was discovered that those who killed them were not Christians. Other similar incidents have occurred across the country.

Confusing Debris

Clearly, these are very troubled times for our country. But they are also very promising times. I say so because amidst this confusing debris of hate, anger and frustration, we have had some very interesting dimensions. Nigeria is changing because Nigerians are taking back their country from the grip of marauders. These stories, few as they may be, are the beginning of our song of freedom. Christians are now publicly crossing the artificial lines created by falsehood and bigotry. Let us take a few examples of events in the last week alone: In Kano, amidst fears and threats of further attacks on Christians, a group of Muslims gathered round to protect Christians as they worshiped. In Minna and recently, in Lagos, the same thing repeated itself as Christians joined hands to protect Muslims as they prayed. In the last week,  Christians and Muslims together in solidarity are protesting against bad governance and corruption beyond the falsehood of religion. Once freed from the grip of these dark forces, religion will be able to play its role as a force for harmony, truth and the common good.

Clearly, drawing from our experiences as Christians, we must note that God has a message for us in all this. To elicit what I consider to be the message, I will make reference to three lessons and I know there are far more. First, these times call for prayer. At the height of our confusion during the Abacha years, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria composed two sets of prayers; one, Against Bribery and Corruption and second, for Nigeria in Distress.  Millions of Catholics have continued to recite these prayers and we must remain relentless in the belief that God hears our prayers and that God’s ways are not our ways. We know that our Muslim brethren and millions of other non-Christians feel the same and are also praying in a similar way for our country.

Two, these times call for solidarity of all people of faith. We are a nation of very strong believers and despite what anyone else may say, millions of our Christians and Muslims do take their religion very seriously. However, you might ask, if that is true, why do we have so many killings in the name of God and of religion?

We live in a state of ineffective law enforcement and tragic social conditions. Corruption has destroyed the fabric of our society. Its corrosive effect can be seen in the ruination of our lives and the decay in our society. The inability of the state to punish criminals as criminals has created the illusion that there is a conflict between Christians and Muslims. In fact, it would seem that many elements today are going to great extremes to pitch Christians against Muslims, and vice versa, so that our attention is taken away from the true source of our woes: corruption. As Nigerians, Christians and Muslims, we must stand together to ensure that our resources are well utilized for the common good. This is why, despite the hardships we must endure as a result of the strike, the Fuel Subsidy debate must be seen as the real dividend of democracy

Three, religious leaders across the faiths must indeed stand up together and face the challenge of the times by offering a leadership that focuses on our common humanity and common good rather than the  insignificant issues that divide us. We therefore condemn in very strong terms the tendency by some religious leaders to play politics with the issues of our collective survival.

Religious Leaders

Rather than rallying our people, some of our religious leaders have resorted to divisive utterances, wild allegations and insinuations against fellow adherents of other religions.  In the last five or so days, text messages have been circulating across the country appealing to some of our worst demons We are told that many senior clerics either believed or encouraged the circulation of these divisive and false text messages. We must condemn this for what it is.

For those Christians who have reacted in fear, they require conversion. If we wait for these evil men or women to decide when we shall stand for Christ, then we have surrendered our soul to the devil. If we fear to stand up for Christ now, let us remember that He has already said: Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my father in Heaven, Whoever denies me before others, I will deny him before my father in Heaven(Mt 10: 32).

Again, Jesus warns that rather than fear at times of uncertainty, adversity or upheavals, we should be confident. He said: When these things begin to take place, stand erect; hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand(Lk. 21: 28). Furthermore,  St Paul has assured us that; If we die with Him, we shall live with Him. If we endure with Him, we shall reign with him( 2 Tim 2: 11-12). Surely, those who are asking us to go under our beds, to flee in the face of persecution must be reading a different Bible.

These are difficult times but they are also times of promise. Our country has turned its back on all forms of dictatorships. Our hands are on the plough and we are resolutely committed to democracy. Like a Catholic marriage, we may not be happy but we cannot contemplate a divorce. God does not make mistakes.

Although the freedom and growth promised by democracy are not here yet, we must remind ourselves that a better tomorrow is possible, a more united and peaceful Nigeria is possible. The challenges of the last few days have shown the resilience of our people and their commitment to democracy and a better life. We believe this is possible. The government must strive to earn the trust of our people. All sides must take lessons from the demonstrations and resolve to build a better and stronger nation.

Let us hold on to the words of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI when he told the President, religious, traditional rulers and people of the Republic of Benin in the Presidential Palace on November 19: Do not cut off your peoples from their future by mutilating their present…There are too many scandals and injustices, too much corruption and greed, too many errors and lies, too much violence. All peoples desire to understand the political and economic choices which are made in their name; they wish to participate in good governance. No economic regime is ideal and no economic choice is neutral. But these must always serve the common good.

Posted with the gracious permission of the author, who is the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese.

Tags: Boko Haram, Matthew Hassan Kukah

#OccupyNigeria – Pictures from Ibadan: Day 3

Occupy Nigeria Protest in Ibadan: Day 3 (January 11, 2012)

Within Bodija Market, Ibadan

Ojunri/Bodija Junction, Ibadan

AIT Crew

Facing the Press: AIT interviewing protesters

Most Cursed President?

This guy was so happy to have his picture taken

Photo Credits: Nwachukwu Egbunike

Tags: #OccupyNigeria - Pictures from Ibadan: Day 3

Unmasking the Cruel Masquerade

By Ken Saro-Wiwa

The image of the masquerade dancing in a public arena is one which an African can relate quite easily. In the masquerade is a man, an ordinary human being subject to the usual humors which afflict humanity. Yet, once he wears a mask, he is transformed into something else, something dangerous.

The masquerade can perpetuate evil, hurt spectators. And that is why when a masquerade engages in more than its share of evil, brave spectators are allowed to disrobe it. The mask falls from its wearer and the puny man in the masquerade is seen for what he truly is: all flesh and blood, the son of so-and-so. This unmasking of the cruel masquerade is very important. But it is a difficult task.

[Ken Saro-Wiwa (1995), A Month and a Day: A Detention Diary. Ibadan: Spectrum Books, p 186]

Eat All You Can

By Anonnymous

A chintzy infernal bore

Walks into a restaurant: Eat All You Can, Your Children will Pay.

Ibrahim, the doorman lets him in.

Okoro, importer-exporter, sole-distributor of Chinese inverters, supplies the restaurant with power.

Dele, the waiter, doubles as manager

His brother, Majiyagbe, assists in the kitchen

Where Mama Ifakemi’s firewood-smoke-filled-eyes peer into a boiling cauldron.

He binges on a sixty-five-course meal.

When his paunch has had its fill,

The bill of his father, is brought to him.

Now he is in a funk.

#OccupyNigeria – Pictures from Ibadan

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality – Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Photo credit: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Photo credits: Pedro

Tags: #OccupyNigeria - Pictures from Ibadan

Ending Fuel Subsidy and Igniting a Revolution

by Nwachukwu Egbunike

Photo credit: naijapals.com

Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ), President of Nigeria has ignited a revolution. Obviously this was far from his intentions. However, his insistence on ending fuel subsidy has done precisely that. His New Year gift to Nigerians has ignited mass protests across the nation. Like King Louis XVI of France in the 18th century, GEJ tried to sell economics, the people are demanding for equity.

History keeps on repeating itself, and unfortunately many fall into the same pit. King Louis XVI was fighting many wars and he needed money to keep his strife aflame. His subjects were overburdened by the brunt of taxation, but the absolute monarch only smirked. He mistook the silence of the French as foolishness.

On May 4, 1789, Louis XVI convoked the States General consisting of the three Estates of Realm: the Clergy, Nobility and Bourgeois. He wanted them to rubber stamp his push for more revenue. What he did not realise was that, the French people were not blind to the opulent lifestyle of the monarchy. They were aware that if their king downsizes the frills of his royal privileges, he would have more than enough to push his wars. Dramatically, on August 4, 1789, in a tennis court, the clergy and the nobility renounced their traditional privileges and the French revolution was born. This cataclysm consumed millions of souls and totally reconfigured the political landscape of Europe.

Fast forward to the 21st century, GEJ against all opposition, preached the theory of fuel subsidy censure as the only alternative to development. What he did not bargain for was the lack of trust from the people. Our President must have mistaken the resilience of Nigerians for naivety.

Standing on the heels of the Arab Spring and the democratisation of information, GEJ would not have imagined that usual beer parlour protest will morph into street action. Certainly, the debate has since moved from subsidy to a demand for accountability from the political class. Tons of information has been circulating, detailing the statistics of the expenditure of the political class.

One of them states as follows:

Let us look at the 2012 Budget proposals in some details to see whether GEJ is willing to reduce the high lifestyle of those in power. We will look at the budgets proposed for three Presidency MDAs – the State House where P & VP work, the Offices of the SGF & Head of Service.

The three MDAs intend to spend a total of N27bn as “overheads” for 2012. Nearly N2bn will be spent travelling with N1.675bn in GEJ’s office!

Stationery, refreshment & snacks in the Presidency will consume about N2bn, with N1.6bn spent by GEJ & his VP in 2012. Does that make sense?

The President & VP intend to spent about N2.8bn to “maintain” their existing furniture, generators, etc, & N238m for fuel! Is this prudent? Miscellaneous spending by the Villa alone totals N1.7bn for food, honorarium & something called “welfare packages” – another security vote! The SGF & Head of Service have over N2.5bn for these “miscellaneous expenses” including nearly N300m for “welfare” & N270m “security vote”!

Why can’t some of these areas of waste be cut to fund capital projects & others that benefit the populace like the fuel subsidy? In the 2012 budget, NASS intends to spend N150bn on itself, the same amount as in 2011 to pay those huge allowances. It has NOT been reduced.

Occupy Nigeria – a national protest that began in Nigeria on Monday, January 9, 2012 – is certainly no longer about fuel subsidy but about the basic tenets of democracy and good governance. He who seeks equity must do so with clean hands. If government prescribes austerity for her citizens, then our leaders must also feel the pinch. Anything else is the scandalous hypocrisy!

Tags: Ending fuel subsidy in Nigeria, jonathan goodluck, Occupy Nigeria

FEATHERS PROJECT: 2011 ANNUAL REPORT

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

From Brown Roofs to Safari

By Nwachukwu Egbunike

Taking a leap from J. P. Clark’s Ibadan, the city of ‘running splash of rust and gold – flung and scattered among seven hills like broken china in the sun’ I flew to Lagos en route Safari. On Thursday, the devil was on loose in Eko, the OPC had a rally and the resultant effect on traffic on the mainland was catastrophic. Spending almost three hours from Ojota to Surulere in guttering heat was not so much fun. However, I survived, I dare not complain.

I am in Nairobi for a seminar. It was an uneventful trip. Save the slight harassment at the immigration, the dude thought that perhaps that I had ulterior motives. My baby face did not help matters, even with my sprouting beard. Had to scrutinize my papers and the few Benjamin’s I had as well.

Nigerians, we would always show ourselves. There’s this lady that was sitting beside me in the plane. Omo, the babe downed 12 small bottles of Bailey’s cream! At a point, I became embarrassed on her behalf. The way she was harassing the air hostess for this drink, brought out our mentality to the fore: “I paid for the air fare, it’s my money and I must enjoy every cent of it!”

Oyi ooo!  Nairobi welcomed me with a chilly breeze. I have never felt this cold before, to think that this is Africa. At 23 degrees Celsius, it should be bearable for a normal person. However, at this temperature without humidity and the sun as mild as ice cream, it is a different story for me!

These guys are more adapted to the British – our common colonial masters. Most people bear their Christian ‘English’ names. Many cannot pronounce Nwachukwu! Nevertheless, they are warm and hospitable. My hosts have been over themselves trying to see to my comfort.

Power has not blinked and I noticed the astonishment of my host when I inquired how the electricity situation was here. It was almost as if I had asked a dumb question. Basketmouth is very popular here and believe it or not Naija music rocks the Nairobi airwaves.

We think that corruption is a synonymous to Nigeria. It is not! As long as human beings live, it is part of every system. I am yet to see most of the city but with the little have I glimpsed, order reigns here!

Tags: Brown roofs, Safari

Dirge to Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu

Late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

Okeosisi ada

Umu nnunu eju ofia

Dim, I rapuru anyi ka onye chiba anyi?

 

Ikemba Nnewi

Ofu onye ana gbakoru izu

Dim, asi na-ijebego?

 

Kedu onu anyi ga-eji koba?

Ife emelu Igbo erika

Onye ga ekwuzili anyi?

 

Obuzi kita ndi nkanka mmadu

Umu efulefu n’agba izu ichi anyi

Dim, ebe ka ino?

 

Obulu zia kita Ndi’Igbo no n’isi

Onye ga ekpokozi anyi

Onye mkpoko anabago ula!

 

Bulu anya anyi n’ala mmuo

Ka anyi bulu anya gi n’ala mmadu

Dim, ije oma!

[The Iroko has fallen

The birds of the forest are without shelter

Dim, who have you left to lead us?

Ikemba Nnewi

One person that they many plan against

Dim, did they say that you have left us?

Which mouth would we use to tell this tale?

What they did to the Igbo’s is plenty

Who will now speak for us?

Especially now that charlatans reign

When the never-do-wells conspire to rule us

Dim, where are you?

Especially now that Ndi’Igbo are in darkness

Who will gather us together?

When the gatherer is asleep!

Be our eyes in the land of the dead

We would be your eyes in the land of the living

Dim, safe journey!]

Tags: Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, ndi igbo, nnewi, safe journey