Nigerians brace for strike

2004-06-09 08:53

Lagos, Nigeria - Long queues built up at petrol stations on Tuesday and throngs of people besieged banks and shops, as Nigerians stocked up on fuel, money and groceries ahead of a nationwide general strike to protest fuel price hikes.

The strike, due to start at midnight on Tuesday (01:00 Wednesday GMT), threatened oil exports by Africa's largest producer.

Guilds representing all of the millions of Nigeria's union workers - the umbrella blue-collar Nigeria Labour Congress and the white-collar Trade Union Congress - called the strike to protest a more than 20% increase in consumer gasoline, diesel and kerosene prices.

Talks called by President Olusegun Obasanjo's government on Monday and Tuesday failed to avert the strike.

Late on Tuesday, the court ordered Nigeria's government to lower fuel prices and told unions to call off the strike.

Labour Minister Hassan Lawal argued it was independent marketers - and not the government - that are responsible for raising pump prices under recent government deregulation.

The government "calls on" marketers to abide by the court ruling, he added.

Jacking up prices

Nigeria Labour Congress leader Adams Oshiomhole accused the government of "hiding behind deregulation" while "jacking up prices" through state-appointed regulators, stressing unions would strike until they witness prices actually coming down.

"The strike begins tomorrow," Oshiomhole said, after breaking off hours of talks with government officials.

Nigeria, Africa's leading oil producer, is also the world's seventh-biggest oil exporter and the source of one-fifth of US oil imports.

Strikers threatened to shut down oil terminals and rigs, cutting off the flow.

Halt oil exports

"If the government doesn't compromise, we'll halt oil exports," said Babatunde Ogun, deputy president of the white-collar Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

Johnson Ofem, a Lagos-based computer engineer, said he had spent his day taking money from the bank, and queuing up for two hours in sweltering heat to buy petrol before shopping for enough groceries to last him at least one week.

Ofem said he would join the strike.

Sit up and listen

"We have an unfeeling government and I'll contribute my bit to make Obasanjo sit up and listen to the feelings of Nigerians," Ofem said as he lugged his groceries to his car in front of a busy supermarket.

Police warned against protests, saying none had been granted a permit, and urged people to go about their "lawful business".

At petrol stations on Tuesday, a litre of petrol still sold at 51 naira (about R2.6) against the former 42 naira (about R2.1), the price before the May 29 increase.

The government insists the increases are necessary to stop shortages and prevent massive smuggling of fuel to neighbouring countries, where prices are higher.

Critics argue the inflationary burden is too much for most Nigerians, more than 70% of whom live on less than US$1 daily.

- AP