DEADLOCK: Nigerians get 48hrs “to rest, restock” before threat of more crippling strike against fuel subsidy withdrawal
Special to USAfricaonline.com, the USAfrica-powered e-groups of Nigeria360, UNNalumni, IgboEvents and CLASSmagazine Houston
USAfrica, Houston, Lagos and Abuja: After a few hours of negotiation and reassessment of their positions on Thursday January 12 and into the early hours of Friday January 13, 2012, Nigeria’s embattled 
government led by President Goodluck Jonathan and two of Nigeria’s largest labor unions have yielded a 48-hour period for the suspension of the crippling nationwide strike, effective Saturday January 14, 2012.
Sources close to the negotiators informed USAfrica that this will enable the groups to additionally “weigh options” on the controversial decision to withdraw the fuel-petroleum “subsidy.”
Secondly, USAfrica can confirm that the negotiators are agreed that such a suspension of the Nigerian nationwide strikes will allow time for access to foods and supplies to regular, poor citizens. Especially, it will minimize the harsh impact of the shutting of the doors of banks and financial institutions. Accordingly, in a joint statement from Nigeria’s main labor unions, NLC and TUC, they said that “The labor movement and its civil society allies after nationwide consultations has decided that Saturday and Sunday will be observed as strike, protest and rally-free days…. We ask Nigerians to utilize these days to rest, restock and get re-energized for the continuation of the strikes, rallies and protest from Monday.”
The intervention of Nigeria’s national legislature leaders and 4 key governors contributed to the cooling off outcome at the meeting at the Abuja offices of the President. Meanwhile, the government has also added what a labor activist told USAfricaonline.com is “a very controversial and polarizing” announcement of “no work, no pay.”
The oil and gas workers’ union also stated that they will cripple parts of Nigeria’s petroleum business; already the price of automotive fuel has more than doubled in many cities with the pump price rocketing to N154 naira per liter from an average rate of N66 naira. The U.S is a major consumer/importer of Nigeria’s petroleum; its 6th largest supplier.
The strikes add to the many challenges of safety and national security, especially the targeted killings of Christians, Igbos and southern Nigerians residing in the northern region of Nigeria by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram. (see Nigeria’s Federal Republic of Insecurity. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfrica, USAfricaonline.com and the Nigeria360 e-group. https://usafricaonline.com/2011/12/17/nigeria-federal-republic-of-insecurity-by-chido-nwangwu/)
Pastor Tunde Bakare, convener of the Save Nigeria Group (which led the public fight for Jonathan’s succession of the late President Umar Yar’Adua) said in Lagos on, January 11, 2012: “In every nation, the sovereignty belongs to the people of the nation. You gave power to Jonathan. He has opened his mouth to say that there is Boko Haram in his bedroom and in his government. He is telling us that he cannot even protect himself…. Any government that lacks competence; any government that is corrupt cannot lead this country. On behalf of the people of Nigeria, we fire Jonathan from office. Jonathan you are fired! I serve quit notice on Jonathan on behalf of the people of this country.” FULL report here: https://usafricaonline.com/2012/01/11/resign-jonathan-asked-to-leave-by-buharis-deputy-tunde-bakare-others/
Bakare was retired Gen. Buhari’s Vice Presidential running mate in the 2010 elections and has continued to charge the government with the label of incompetence, lacking the will to fight corruption and refusing to listen to the demands of Nigerians to cancel President Jonathan’s decision to withdraw the petroleum subsidy.
USAfrica news index for January 1-January 15, 2012 show that the diasporan Nigerian communities in the key cities of London, New York, Washington DC., Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles are demonstrating against President Jonathan’s decision to withdraw the “subsidy” and sustained massive electronic and social media opposition to the decision in greater numbers.
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Nigeria’s Federal Republic of Insecurity. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfrica, USAfricaonline.com and the Nigeria360 e-group. https://usafricaonline.com/2011/12/17/nigeria-federal-republic-of-insecurity-by-chido-nwangwu/ : IF any of the Nigerian President’s 100 advisers has the polite courage for the extraordinary task of reminding His Excellency of his foremost, sworn, constitutional obligation to the national interest about security and safety of Nigerians and all who sojourn in Nigeria, please whisper clearly to Mr. President that I said, respectfully: Nigerians, at home and abroad, are still concerned and afraid for living in what I call Nigeria’s Federal Republic of Insecurity. FULL text of commentary at USAfricaonline.com https://usafricaonline.com/2011/12/17/nigeria-federal-republic-of-insecurity-by-chido-nwangwu/
Related insight: USAfrica’s October 17, 2001 special report/alert: Nigeria’s bin-Laden cheerleaders could ignite religious war, destabilize Africa. By USAfrica’s Publisher Chido Nwangwu. https://usafricaonline.com/chido.binladennigeria.html
https://usafricaonline.com/tag/al-qaeda/
310 killed by Nigeria’s ‘talibans’ in Bauchi, Yobe n Maiduguri; crises escalate. USAfricaonline.com on July 28, 2009. www.usafricaonline.com/chido.ngrtalibans09.html
http://www.groundreport.com/World/310-killed-by-Nigerias-talibans-in-Bauchi-Yobe-n-M/2904584
Related and prior reporting on the Jos crises on USAfrica, click here: https://usafricaonline.com/2011/08/16/10-killed-in-renewed-violence-near-jos/
News archives related to Jos, here https://usafricaonline.com/?s=jos
USAfrica: As Egypt’s corrupter-in-chief Mubarak slides into history’s dustbin. By Chido Nwangwu. https://usafricaonline.com/2011/01/30/chido-nwangwu-as-egypt-corrupter-in-chief-mubarak-slides-into-historys-dustbin-egyptians-not-waiting-for-obama-and-united-nations/
Tunisia, Egypt . . . Is Nigeria next? By Prof. Rosaire Ifedi https://usafricaonline.com/2011/02/13/tunisia-egypt-is-nigeria-next-by-prof-rosaire-ifedi/
