Nigerians down tools

2004-06-09 10:58

Abuja - Tens of millions of Nigerians have joined in a general strike on Thursday, following calls from labour leaders and in a bid to force President Olusegun Obasanjo's government to reign in soaring fuel prices.

The commercial capital Lagos is reported to be almost empty;, service stations are closed and the city's largest food market is deserted on the first day of what labour has threatened will be a three-week stoppage.

In the official capital, Abuja, some federal civil servants have trickled in to work, having been threatened with losing their wages if they don't.

Meanwhile, large squads of riot police are deployed at strategic junctions, in anticipation of a day of protest.

On Wednesday, Obasanjo's government said it will comply with a court order and instruct private fuel marketers to cut pump prices by more than a fifth - back to to February levels - as has been demanded by the unions.

But Adams Oshiomhole, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the strike will nevertheless go ahead, and continue, until workers see that the government and petrol companies are serious about cutting prices.

The unions' action to force Africa's largest oil exporter to give in to fuel price demands, came despite winning a promise that the government will order a reduction in soaring fuel prices.

The Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the unions to suspend their action, but also ruled that Obasanjo's administration should find a way to reduce fuel prices to their levels in early February.

Information Minister Chukwuemeka Chikelu said the government will obey the ruling and bring down prices.

"The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is obliged to obey the court and that is what is happening."

Oshiomhole said the government had to prove its sincerity. "They have ignored court orders before," he said.

On May 28, Nigerian service stations raised prices from 41.7 naira a litre (R2.09) to between 50 and 55 naira.

- AFX