AN amalgam of civil society groups and political actors have vowed to shut down Nigeria again, like they did nearly a decade back, if the Federal Government goes ahead with its plan to increase fuel and electricity prices in 2022.
In 2012, forces opposed to fuel price hike by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan shut the country down for almost two weeks, in an operation codenamed ‘Occupy Nigeria.’
Leaders of the effective protests which crippled the country, as opposition elements then, are now senior operatives in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, which is seeking to upwardly adjust both fuel and electricity costs as done multiple times in the last six years of the administration.
The coalition operating under the Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M), in a communique after a public meeting with allies, threatened to shut the country down again, as the anniversary of the 2012 shutdown draws near.
“The public meeting was very well attended by groups and individuals from across the country, including the affiliates of TPAP-M, the Coalition on NGO Networks in Northern Nigeria, Trade Union Congress, AUPCTRE, Campaign for Transformative Governance (CFTG), representatives of informal sector workers, women formations, and youth and young persons, including those who continue to play front line roles in the #EndSARS movement” the communique signed by Comrades Omotoye Olorode, a Professor of Botany and Jaye Gaskia, reads in part.
The coalition further disclosed that “the public meeting was convened against the background of the unfolding and rapidly deepening crisis in the energy sector.
“This triple energy crisis is characterised by risings gas prices, which has made gas unaffordable to the poor and even the middle classes; as well as the threatened hikes in fuel price and electricity tariff, which would price these essential products and services out of the reach of the impoverished masses and make energy completely unaffordable to the working people and the toiling masses.
“The combined implication of all of these is that Nigerians will be further impoverished; businesses, – in particular small and medium scale businesses, will struggle to survive, will lay off staff and even close up. Big businesses will also struggle with rising production costs, and those who can manage to stay afloat will do so at the expense of their workforce (many of whom will be laid off) and of ordinary citizens (to whom they will shift the cost).”
While asking Nigerians to prepare for Occupy Nigeria: Phase 2, the coalition remarked that, “January 2022 will mark ten years since Occupy Nigeria (The January Uprising) of 2012 that shook the nation and the ruling class to its foundation.
“It is noteworthy that the very same reasons that impelled Occupy Nigeria are once again coming together to impel another January uprising – incompetent government; ruling class greed and impunity; absence of domestic refining capacity; rising cost of living; increasing joblessness; and intensifying insecurity.
“This time around, we must as a people meet the challenge more resolutely, but also with greater political determination. Our conclusion is that without addressing and resolving the question of political power – that is of who (which class) holds and wields power; in the interest of who (or which class is power being deployed and utilised); without preparing ourselves, and the working peoples and toiling masses for, and to take power; these problems, among others will never be solved, and will certainly never be resolved in the interest of the toiling masses.
“When in January 2012, the GEJ regime unconscionably hiked fuel prices in the name of removing fuel subsidy, there was a justifiable mass outrage, which precipitated the January uprising, also known as Occupy Nigeria, where for more than two weeks, there were mass protests and across more than 55 cities and a mass general workers strike that lasted a week and paralysed the economy.
“Recall that the exact same reasons pushed ten years ago by the Jonathan administration, are still being pushed by the current Buhari administration as justifications for the fuel price hike.
“Is it that in ten solid years, nothing has changed? And that despite removing so-called subsidy in 2012, in 2016, there is still subsidy to be removed in 2022?”
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