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Parliament of the Streets: Mass Strikes and Street Protests That Shook Page 2 | Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 Published by: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Nigeria Office, 12 Marrakesh Street, Wuse II, Abuja, Nigeria Tel +234 803 899 8708 [email protected] Resident Representative Seija Sturies First impression in October, 2015 Printed by: Visart Publishing Nigeria Limited 08069541672, 08037042207 [email protected] ©Copyright with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung ISBN: 978 978 36421 2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holders and the publishers. Short extracts may be quoted, provided the source is fully acknowledged. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the ones of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung or of the organisation for which the authors work. Dedication To Our Comrades Now Gone; Alao Aka-Bashorun, who led the way; Chima Ubani, who rejected compromise; Beko Ransome – Kuti, the Spirit of Resistance; Ben Edehrue, who was at workers service ‘worldwide’ Wahab Omorilewa Goodluck, the ultimate mass organizer; Tina ‘Iron Lady’ Oladimeji, the songstress of Street Protests: And Those who lost their lives, Or live the scars of The January 2012 Protests. Page 4 | Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 “Until the lions start to write their own history about hunting, only the story of the hunters will be believed.” Hassan Sunmonu, Founding President Nigeria Labour Congress, (1978-1984) Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 | Page 5 CONTENTS Dedication --------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Foreword --------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Preface --------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Introduction: People's Power: Eight Days That Shook Nigeria ------- 10 Chapter 1: History As It Unfolds ------------------------------------------ 12 Chapter 2: Thorny Road To Protests -------------------------------------- 16 Artificial Scarcity Of Petrol --------------------------------------------------- 26 The Philosophy And Policy Direction Of The Jonathan Administration ----- 40 Attempts To Remove Fuel Subsidy ------------------------------------------- 40 The Security Challenges ------------------------------------------------------ 42 On The State Of Industrial Relations ----------------------------------------- 42 Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 Chapter 3: Subsidy: The State Versus The People Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria -------------------------------------------------------- 45 The Professor Aghon Testimony --------------------------------------------- 46 The Debate Of All Debates --------------------------------------------------- 49 Why We Struck - Coordinating Minister ------------------------------------- 50 Government Cannot Guarantee Price Regulation - Petroleum Minister ---- 53 Nothing Wrong With Subsidy - Civil Society -------------------------------- 55 Let Us Consume What We Produce - NLC Vice President ------------------ 56 President Jonathan Must Remove Fuel Subsidy ----------------------------- 58 Government Should Subsidise Production, Not Consumption - CBN Governor ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 64 Government Should Allow Alternative Suggestions - Femi Falana --------- 69 There Is No Subsidy ---------------------------------------------------------- 72 Page 6 | Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 Chapter 4: Using The Judiciary To Play Ping Pong ---------------------- 76 Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------- 82 Chapter 5: The House For The People, Senate For The Presidency ---- 84 Chapter 6: Igniting A Revolt ----------------------------------------------- 108 No Retreat! No Surrender!! Forward Ever!!! --------------------------------- 113 Chapter 7: The Nation Shook To Its Foundations But Government Was Unaware --------------------------------------------------------------- 118 Lagos Surrenders To The People --------------------------------------------- 131 Bloodbath In Kano ----------------------------------------------------------- 135 Housewives Takeover Protests In Katsina State ------------------------------ 137 The People On The March --------------------------------------------------- 138 The Limits Of Intimidation --------------------------------------------------- 157 Chapter 8: The Rest Is History --------------------------------------------- 164 Chapter 9: The People Were Right, Government Was Wrong ---------- 184 Chapter 10: Forward To Yesterday ---------------------------------------- 198 Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 | Page 7 FOREWORD Nigeria is a country richly endowed with both human and natural resources. It is the most populous country in Africa with about 170 million people, largest African economy, largest oil producer, ethnically diverse with more than 250 ethnic and more than 350 linguistic groups. The country’s economy was rebased from $264billion in 2012 to $509.9 billion in 2015, with a growth rate of 6-8% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and large informal sector. However, about 85% of her net income is from oil (petroleum) which started in commercial quantity in 1958. The country depends largely on oil from the upstream and downstream sector which has resulted in the mono-economic structure that calls for the diversification of the economy. One of the pivots on which the Nigerian wheels rotates socio-economically is the price of petroleum products, especially the petrol (PMS), diesel (AGO) and kerosene (KPO). It affects the people in every facets of life in terms of prices of goods and services, rents and transportation. Over the years the government has subsidized the prices of these products to meet the demand of the people and to stabilise the economy as it reacts to prices in the international market. However, whenever government increases the prices of these products in the form of subsidy removal, it has always met with stiff resistance from the citizens; often times pioneered and led by the workers unions and civil society groups. One of the most prominent of these strikes and resistance was after the removal of the fuel subsidy at the beginning of January documented in this book as “parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012”, with a view to understanding the politics of oil and fuel subsidy in Nigeria. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), present in the country since 1976, is a German independent, non-profit organization committed to promoting democracy, social justice, peace and security. I hope this book will meet the need and aspirations of Nigerians and the workers in understanding the dynamics of fuel subsidy in the Nigerian society. I therefore recommend the book to all stakeholders, scholars and decision makers. Seija Sturies (Mrs.) Resident Representative Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Nigeria Abuja, October, 2015 Page 8 | Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 PREFACE This is not history. It is not even an attempt to chronicle the events that shook Nigeria from January 9-16, 2012 which saw millions of Nigerians pour out into the streets across the country, bringing human activity to a halt in this country of 167 million people. Rather, these are in a sense, a thought process, and preliminary notes I took as history unfolded before my eyes from the vantage position of one of the principal organizers of the strikes and street protests. This is basically an attempt to do some documentation of those explosive days the Nigerian people rose as one, to oppose a government policy that can only impoverish them. I have strived to present issues as accurately and fairly as possible. Part of the style, is to let people speak directly for themselves, and hopefully, take responsibility for whatever role(s) they played. Expectedly, there were lots of intrigues and people masquerading as Labour leaders, civil society activists and champions of the people. While some hints have been given, the intention however, is not to unmask them now. To unmask some of them at this point, might damage the Labour Movement, and some may turn a new leave. After all, human beings are changeable. I have tried to be fair, but I must admit that this book is written from the perspective of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) or rather, my perspective. The primary aim is to present some documentation and history, which may be useful to future Generations. Parliament of the streets: Mass strikes and street protests that shook Nigeria in 2012 | Page 9 Introduction Peoples Power: Eight Days That Shook Nigeria The historic eight-day general strike, mass rallies and street protests in the country from Monday January 9 to Monday January 16, 2012 brought out the best in Nigerians. The Nigerian people were angry, and they showed it; sovereignty belongs to the people from whom all power flows, they reasserted it; they displayed that the country belongs to the people and not to the government in power. The Nigerian populace showed that unity is an article of faith, a theoretical proposition and a practical demonstration
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