THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Civil Society Coalition, on Thursday, led hundreds of Nigerians to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to protest the planned deregulation of the downstream oil sector, non-adoption of a national minimum wage of N52, 200 and the partial implementation of Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee’s report.

But they could not deliver their message to the Senate President, David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, as the two leaders of the National Assembly fled from the premises a few minutes before the arrival of the procession, led by the NLC President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, the President General of TUC, Mr. Peter Esele, and the chairman of the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), Dr. Dipo Fashina, to the National Assembly.

However, labour threatened that if the Federal Government failed to rescind its decision on deregulation after the series of rallies, it would go for a total showdown with the government. They also challenged the Federal Government to subject the issue of deregulation to the court of public opinion by conducting a referendum to determine whether Nigerians truly wanted the policy or not.

The procession, which began early Thursday morning at the Berger end of Abuja, ended at the National Assembly, where both leaders, Senator Mark and Honourable Bankole, refused to receive the labour leaders, but ran away from the premises of the National Assembly, when the rally train was moving nearer to the Assembly.

Their disappearance was not a surprise to the labour leaders, as Nigerian Tribune was reliably informed that Senator Mark, in particular, made frantic efforts to make labour stop the rally late Wednesday night.

Specifically, Senator Mark was said to have called the leaders of the NLC on Wednesday night to tell them that he would only receive them outside the gate of the National Assembly, a proposition the labour leaders rejected.

However, about 30 minutes to the arrival of the rally, Senator Mark, who was leading the Senate plenary session, excused himself and hurriedly drove out of the premises.

The rally was later received by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Wilson Ake, who assured union leaders that their requests would be looked into by the National Assembly.

Speaking at the rally, Mr. Omar said: “I want to challenge the Federal Government, if they think that deregulation is a popular policy, let them subject it to a referendum and let Nigerians decide.

“Let Nigerians decide. Because, if the essence of democracy is for the people and by the people, then let them subject it to a popular referendum. The National Assembly should also refer it to the public and let us see the result.”

In his own address, to the General Secretary of LASCO, Mr. Biodun Aremu said: “If government does not yield to the workers’ demands after this final rally, there will be a total showdown.

According to LASCO chairman, Dr. Fashina, the National Assembly had only two options; either to be on the side of the people or to be against them, adding that there was no middle way.

He stated that if the National Assembly supported deregulation, it meant that they were against the people and that people would treat them as enemies.

Dr. Fashina, however, said that many Nigerians believed that the people at the National Assembly did not win their elections.

The TUC president, Mr. Esele, in his own address, pointed out that deregulation did not mean pump price increase, regretting that a majority of the people were not educated, thus making them to give wrong perception of deregulation.

Also, Mr. Femi Falana said the Peoples Democratic Party government had been increasing fuel prices illegally, because the National Assembly had refused to perform its role.

Rather than deregulating the downstream oil sector, Mr. Falana said the government must deregulate corruption, election rigging and the looting of treasury, regretting that billions of naira had been spent on the refineries but they had refused to work due to corruption.

NLC president, Omar, delivered a letter entitled “Why we held a national rally in Abuja today, Thursday, October 29, 2009” to Senator Ake for onward delivery to the Senate president and stated that the three primary reasons for the rallies and processions were the planned deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry; fast-tracking negotiation of a new National Minimum Wage and wage review, and the non-implementation of the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform report.

Reacting, Senator Ake said the National Assembly was aware of their coming and had made provisions to ensure they had a fine atmosphere to deliver their message.

He expressed appreciation and thanked the leadership of labour for organising peaceful rallies across the country, adding that the issues they raised were very important.

Senator Ake said the National Assembly was in alliance with the position of labour as the legislature was already looking into the Uwais panel report and had subjected it to public hearing.

He also said: “We want to assure you that we are with you on this. Workers need increased salary. There is a basis for the salary to be increased. The National Assembly is also with you on deregulation. Now that it is officially before us, we are assuring you it is going to receive serious attention.”

http://www.tribune.com.ng/30102009/news/news1.html

Come to think of it,what does that TUC guys meant when he said Nigerians need to be educated on Deregulation?Methinks some stupid chaps just sit down and begin to apportion to themselves what is not.Deregulation or not,all we want is not hike in pump price if fuel,chikena.

polls shows yar adua is no more acceptable to majority of nigerian.

and look it would be impossible for a northerner to become president in future. please check the satellite pictures.


And what happen to chief bode george and iyabo obasanjo would also happen to northerner. and i think turai and yar adua cabinet would also end up in prison if yar adua leaves office because ethnics and tribal sentiment is in nigeria. and the next govt would make sure, if they cant get yar adua, they would make his wife pay for him. I say it do not listen to calls by some people. who want nuru ribadu and any northerner to replace yar adua. if yar adua leave. a southerner must replace him. not a northerner. so all those northerner thinking they would replace yar adua are wasting thier time.

That why a constitution amendment is important.

1.  we remove the yorubas, edo, delta and bayelsa into benin republic to make the north the majority.

while in the  REMAINING NEW NIGERIA, you create 4 region

2.    eastern region  ,   river, akwa ibom, cross river, imo, enugu, abia, anambra,ebonyi
3    middle belt  region,    -- taraba, benue, adamawa.plateau,nassarawa,
4     north west,    ----------kaduna, niger, sokoto, kebbi, zamfara
5    north east region. ------------ kano, jigawa, borno, yobe, bauchi, gombe




www.nairaland.com/attachments/192851_zzzzzzzzjjj_JPG75afda14766d4286e1710e8d4cb80364

Hilundi:

Come to think of it,what does that TUC guys meant when he said Nigerians need to be educated on Deregulation?Methinks some stupid chaps just sit down and begin to apportion to themselves what is not.Deregulation or not,all we want is not hike in pump price if fuel,chikena.

What they meant is that Nigerians need to know the truth about deregulation, NNPC has been giving incomplete and false information about the true meaning and state of deregulation, they make it sound as if it will have no effect on the masses, comparing it to the introduction of GSM. Nigerians need to enlightened to see through their lies that all derugulation means is more money for the rich (Their importers and cronies) who by the way do no work only depend on the other countries to refine fuel and less for the poor. Nigerians need to tell the Government that they should repair the refineries before they shout deregulation

Pls could the person who posted the Map at the top of this page come back online to tell me what he meant by all these breakdown and analysis he did? Waiting for you to explain yourself better.

@bisiaet
if u want to know who posted the map,he is becomrich with many user id.,he is a big clown on nairaland & very controversial
@topic
protesting to national assembly will not solve the present problem of deregulation,today is 30th already & there's panic everywhere.,i think a nationwide strike will be the solution,,removing petroleum subsidy without local refineries in place will only tell on the populace,,yaradoer should better intervene now,,

WOWWWWWWW , finally Nigerians are protesting for there freedoms, unbelievable. I thought the only thing they knew how to do was just complain about it every day and living it to the Almighty himself.

Please permit me to post my reply in pidgin english."why they no go run,as their plan na to kill us finish,dey dey buy fuel? even after they leave office, dey don steal enough to wey go fit buy fuel for 1milion people.I go soon end for them".

Please refrain from commenting on issues you clearly don't understand. If you are ignorant about something then at least be humble enough to learn before you start saying rubish.

Deregulation of the downstream sector is the BEST thing that could happen to Nigeria right now. How on earth will more people make money in a free market economy as opposed to one predicated on government policies?

Please, if you don't have an informed opinion and instead soak up all the nonsense your'e fed in the paid media dont make suggestions.

Reasons to support deregulation of the downstream sector:

Subsidy has been bastardized in nigeria. Government officials and oil marketers collude to inflate prices, which mean government is paying a lot into private pockets. Lets say the selling price of PMS is N80/litre and the pump price is N65 the government pays the N15 difference. But if due to corruption the marketers and government officials tell government it’s N90. It means N10/litre will be paid into private pockets. It could be worse because there are fluctuations in prices all the time, creating more room for corrupt practices. How is this supposed to be in the interest of the masses?

Our borders are porous, meaning we have been subsidizing not only Nigerians but our neighbors (Niger, Benin republic etc) through smuggling of petroleum products to them enriching private pockets in the process. The only reason for smuggling out of the country is because the product has been subsidized and thus cheaper.

It’s subsidy that is killing investment in local refineries due to sabotage.

I don’t think deregulation will add more to masses’ suffering. Yes there may be initial hardship, but I believe it will eventually subside later. These things have a way of creating more cash flow in the system.

davidif:

WOWWWWWWW , finally Nigerians are protesting for there[b] freedoms[/b], unbelievable. I thought the only thing they knew how to do was just complain about it every day and living it to the Almighty himself.

Subsidy is actually the slavery. Let us ask ourselves, who uses petroleum products more? The rich or the Poor?

We have been using Nigerians money to make life more comfortable for the rich.

you wan make dem massacre dem?

Stupid buffoons. If the so called representative of the people are running for the people then there is no more hope.
Why were they running?
Is it not just to address protesters, sshuooooo!!!!
This people na animals o. Na only money den sabi chop. Amadioha scatter their nyashes.

Akanbi_edu:

Reasons to support deregulation of the downstream sector:

Subsidy has been bastardized in nigeria. Government officials and oil marketers collude to inflate prices, which mean government is paying a lot into private pockets. Lets say the selling price of PMS is N80/litre and the pump price is N65 the government pays the N15 difference. But if due to corruption the marketers and government officials tell government it’s N90. It means N10/litre will be paid into private pockets. It could be worse because there are fluctuations in prices all the time, creating more room for corrupt practices. How is this supposed to be in the interest of the masses?

Our borders are porous, meaning we have been subsidizing not only Nigerians but our neighbors (Niger, Benin republic etc) through smuggling of petroleum products to them enriching private pockets in the process. The only reason for smuggling out of the country is because the product has been subsidized and thus cheaper.

It’s subsidy that is killing investment in local refineries due to sabotage.

I don’t think deregulation will add more to masses’ suffering. Yes there may be initial hardship, but I believe it will eventually subside later. These things have a way of creating more cash flow in the system.

Reasonable post

As usual.

The Deregulation of the oil sector should have been done a long time ago. Nigerians Claim that the government is robbing them. but lets see.

1) Majority of the Hummer Xfive range Rover and land Cruiser is driven by the Rich and not the poor
2) After the OMC get the Petrol from Spain (note the banks in Spain did not suffer from the credit crunch) they Charge whatever they like. because there is an ETERNAL variable cost that you or your government can never determine!!!!!!
3) The poor dont have the big engines on the average every commuter can be given a transport voucher if the need arises.
4) The rich have had enough they now let us face it.

becomrich,:

polls shows yar adua is no more acceptable to majority of nigerian.

and look it would be impossible for a northerner to become president in future. please check the satellite pictures.


And what happen to chief bode george and iyabo obasanjo would also happen to northerner. and i think turai and yar adua cabinet would also end up in prison if yar adua leaves office because ethnics and tribal sentiment is in nigeria. and the next govt would make sure, if they cant get yar adua, they would make his wife pay for him. I say it do not listen to calls by some people. who want nuru ribadu and any northerner to replace yar adua. if yar adua leave. a southerner must replace him. not a northerner. so all those northerner thinking they would replace yar adua are wasting thier time.

That why a constitution amendment is important.

1.  we remove the yorubas, edo, delta and bayelsa into benin republic to make the north the majority.

while in the  REMAINING NEW NIGERIA, you create 4 region

2.    eastern region  ,   river, akwa ibom, cross river, imo, enugu, abia, anambra,ebonyi
3    middle belt  region,    -- taraba, benue, adamawa.plateau,nassarawa,
4     north west,    ----------kaduna, niger, sokoto, kebbi, zamfara
5    north east region. ------------ kano, jigawa, borno, yobe, bauchi, gombe

Doctor, there is an emergency!

I am on becomrich side. why should we yoruba people be in two country. And i use to live close to a barrack, and i live in kano before. kano and lagos or ibadan are not the same. the cheating by northerner can not continue.

idajeepo:

I am on becomrich side. why should we yoruba people be in two country. And i use to live close to a barrack, and i live in kano before. kano and lagos or ibadan are not the same. the cheating by northerner can not continue.

What are you trying to say? Anyways, welcome to NL.

~~yawns~~ This post is tooooooo long, Going to bed.

NLC rally



If na you, you no go run?

Aloy~Emeka:


NLC rally



If na you, you no go run?

bankole must have thought those were sango worshipers after him

becomrich,:

That why a constitution amendment is important.

1.  we remove the yorubas, edo, delta and bayelsa into benin republic to make the north the majority.

while in the  REMAINING NEW NIGERIA, you create 4 region

2.    eastern region  ,   river, akwa ibom, cross river, imo, enugu, abia, anambra,ebonyi
3    middle belt  region,    -- taraba, benue, adamawa.plateau,nassarawa,
4     north west,    ----------kaduna, niger, sokoto, kebbi, zamfara
5    north east region. ------------ kano, jigawa, borno, yobe, bauchi, gombe




www.nairaland.com/attachments/192851_zzzzzzzzjjj_JPG75afda14766d4286e1710e8d4cb80364

Bia are you a blood spotted retard

Im sick of the continual display of our irresponsible leadership. . .

I am terribly disappointed in this Bankole dude.

Let me tell you some you gator.

You really behave like an idiot. What you people do not know is that, each month yar adua or fashola collect salary. like any worker in a office.

Yar adua or fashola is an employee. they applied for a job, and got it, and if the employer want them to be sacked, you fire them.

Who is more powerful. Is it the employee or employer? It is the employer. The employer can stop paying yar adua or fashola his salary.

Do you want to know who thier employers are , you.

As employer who pays yar adua or fashola salary, if you dont like what they do, you complain  or get rid of them. You employed them to do a job. And you did not employ them to do rankadede for them.

You are paying yar adua to provide you 24 hrs of electricity. If yar adua feels he can not do that fire him. You are yar adua boss. This is the way america works. That is why they have 24 hrs. America would sack a president that can not provide 24 hrs electricity. if you have a wife, she can not provide you sex, another women would quickly replace her. and she would start to ask, why this many married a new wife.

America complain is  callbitching or in nigeria complain. If there is an road fashola or akwa ibom or bauchi governor have not repair, you complain and complain, till he does it. Put the road online.  So that the whole world , would see that the akwa ibom or bauchi or lagos governor is not doing his job. 

And I promise you , he would loss the election. Because there are many people who are ready to replace all of them.

You as the employer can not be wasting your money paying yar adua or fashola to attend party. If you dont like yar adua or fashola, remove them even before the election. This is how did place work.

If yar adua can not provide you, his employer with 24 hrs electritcity, he should resign from his pay job and start looking for another job. I hear ABU is looking for teacher, if fashola can not provide you with good road and drinking water. Nigeria  court need more lawyers.

You are thier employer and not thier slave. YOu pay yar adua or fashola money each month. When yar adua see his pay cheque he gives to Turai, when turai see that no pay cheque is coming. He would ask yar adua to be fast.

This is how democracy works. Government employee like yar adua or fashola they treat us well and even Yes sir. If not no food on the table. If yar adua or fashola no perform stop paying salary. There are many nigerian who want that job.

And I can do it better too.


You see a man who says rankadede to yar adua or fashola is not is friend but yar adua enermy, but the want who critic yar adua is the person that makes yar adua or fashola or others better. When you see your mistake, you quickly correct it. This is the white man secret, Go watch CNN America, They critic obama and then he knows where he is making a mistakes. And quickly correct it.

If you keep on showing one road , you built more than 1 years ago and tell us that is the only thing you have done. please resign, before we your employers sack you.
When obasanjo was there, what do they do, they gave monthly account to nigeria. Tell me when have this govt on federal or state done the same. Obama address american every month , to tell them what they have done for that month. I mean every month.

How much did nigeria make last month and how much did you spend on what project, which contract did you spend it on, how did you award the contract. We have to you as your employer, if not all politician should get ready to be sack.


Look, do you that only redeemed church can remove fashola as governor of lagos or even yar adua.  Go and ask fashola or tinubu to stage a program anywhere in lagos . And that church would stage in the another location. I can tell you 100 times the people would be at the church,

Even with yar adua and PDP, if they call all of thier members, they can not get people to fill redeemed camp without paying thier bus, and providing food, because nobody would track from tool gate to redeemed camp to go and see Yar adua or fashola. If you doubt me, is anybody ready to try.

Here is mine point, for them to be good, you most show where they are making mistake. No man is perfect. But if you continue with rankadede nonsense, you would remain were you are. A wise man listen to advise.

If you want me to keep saying goodthing about you, so that you can give me contract, i can too. but what good is it to you.

we can not continue the hate among ourself.

[b]Reasons to support deregulation of the downstream sector:

Subsidy has been bastardized in nigeria. Government officials and oil marketers collude to inflate prices, which mean government is paying a lot into private pockets.  Lets say the selling price of PMS is N80/litre and the pump price is N65 the government pays the N15 difference. But if due to corruption the marketers and government officials tell government it’s N90. It means N10/litre will be paid into private pockets. It could be worse because there are fluctuations in prices all the time, creating more room for corrupt practices. How is this supposed to be in the interest of the masses?

Our borders are porous, meaning we have been subsidizing not only Nigerians but our neighbors (Niger, Benin republic etc) through smuggling of petroleum products to them enriching private pockets in the process. The only reason for smuggling out of the country is because the product has been subsidized and thus cheaper.

It’s subsidy that is killing investment in local refineries due to sabotage.

I don’t think deregulation will add more to masses’ suffering. Yes there may be initial hardship, but I believe it will eventually subside later. These things have a way of creating more cash flow in the system.[/b]

This would make sense only if NNPC is outlawed as the only manager of petroleum resources in Nigeria. Telecommunication  analogy does not quite fit because MTN, Econet were placed on the same pedestal with NITEL. Why is it that they are only talking of selling to  Nigerians finished products as deregulation? NNPC gets about 300K bpd for local consumption, what happens to that? What's cost of refining per barrel? How much is a litre of petrol in Libya, Venezuala , S. Arabia and Iran?
Why is cost of petrolt in Naija is almost the same  US?.eg N85/ltre X4 =N340/gallon while US it's about $2.60 a gallon  about N390. Naija worker is begging for N52,0000 while US workers make minimum of  $7/hr

I just dont have the time , and something can not be said or explain over the internet, you can intergrate Nigeria and Benin into 2 in 1 countries with two president.

many countries have done it in history and some are still doing it. that way the north would not remain minority and we would not have problem.

I do not have time. may over the weekend.  about 20 countries have done it before. where they have two president in a 2 in 1 countrry. read history.


90% of nigerian abroad have two passport and they use the passport. it is easy. even some countries allows for multiple passport. there are some countries that benin republic have visa free . and nigeria passport we all know can not go anywhere with it without a visa.

They should hv stay to explain their own side of the story to nigerians.Paliative measures should be put in place before deregulation.

these Dudes live a lives of excess wealth, nothing disturbs them, u no the only thing that trouble these hommies is when there is time to go for re-election,

Can Nigeria Tribune tell us how many Dimeji Bankole's that are speaker of the House of Assembly do we have? Unless there are two, I thought he was in South Africa since Monday attending the African Parliament meeting?

Look if jonathan does not want. we remove bayelsa state and 10 states, with ekeremore , which is part of delta state.