January 9th, 2012
NewsRescue- The NLC, TUC fuel subsidy removal riots in Nigeria kicked off all over the federation Monday, despite pleas and negotiations by the Federal Government. All businesses, office, markets including sea and air ports have been shut down.
Related: NewsRescue- Nigeria Under Siege
Riots have been deadly in several states with 3 reported killed and 3 admitted in critical condition after reported attack by the security services in Lagos. A young man Ademola Aderinde seen in pictures was reportedly playing ball in Ogba, Lagos before police opened fire on the group playing football. This was allegedly conducted by the DPO of Pen Cinema police station, Agege, Lagos. Several young men sustained gun shot injuries and have been rushed to private hospitals. To make things worse, the private hospitals according to a Nigerian policy, refuse to accord care to the gun-shot injured without police report.
Related: NewsRescue- IMF Forces African Nations to Remove Fuel Subsidies
Update, 5pm: Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos, called for the immediate arrest of the police officers involved; the state police command promptly arrested the officer and handed him over to the state CID.
Massive riots have also been reported in Kano, where a group of rioters attempted to penetrate the government house and were brutally fended off by the police who shot and killed at least 1 protester; a 15 year old according to reports.
Related: NewsRescue- Nigeria Targeted For Destruction: Gordon Duff, US
Rioters were seen with placards with messages directed against corruption, hardship and against government executives like one against the minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala that read,- “Okonjo Wahala, please return to World Bank“. The minister of finance has been a center of anger for her involvement with foreign vampire agencies, the IMF and World Bank, responsible for Nigeria’s hardships.
Tunde Bakare of Save Nigeria complained that the subsidies are not even the issue. That corruption is the issue, and the subsidies are divided by top government executives before they are even removed and will be eaten again after they are removed.
To quell the riots, the Federal Government had said they will slash 25% of the basic salary of the executive arm and minimize traveling non specifically. However Nigerian masses scoffed at these insignificant offers of ‘belt-tightening’. The cut to basic salary is nothing in context of the millions these top workers earn in allowances and other benefits. The day after the announcement, the president was reported to have visited South Africa to attend 100 years celebration of the ANC South African political party.
Nigerian government on January 1st removed Fuel subsidies causing a hike in fuel cost from 65 Naira a gallon to 145 Nara a gallon. This action occurred in Nigeria along with other African Nations, Gabon, Cameroon, Ghana and Chad in a peculiar situation as read in our report: IMF Forces African Nations to Remove Fuel Subsidies.
