We Had Fruitful Discussion; Crisis Will End Soon ' Mark' Civil Society Resumes Mass Demonstration Tomorrow'We'll Not Shut Down Oil Production, Says NLC PresidentMEETING between Labour and Federal Govt yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, failed to reach a compromise on the main clause of the week-old dispute occasioned by the January 1 removal of fuel subsidy. Leaders of the 18-man Labour team led by President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abdulwaheed Omar, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Peter Esele, told journalists at about 11.20pm when the meeting ended , that'Government was not ready' to yield to their demand of reverting to N65 per litre. When he was initially asked if the stalemate meant that the national strike would continue, he said he would communicate his NEC's meeting to the media by today. But he later addressed the journalists, declaring categorically that the industrial action, which after five days was suspended for two days at the weekend, would continue tomorrow.Omar, however, assured that Labour would not shut down oil production as 'Labour is still giving peace a chance'.The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had on Thursday promised to join the strike by shutting down oil production from early this morning should Labour and Govt failed to reach a compromise.Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, told journaliststhat Labour was expected to report back to Governemnt today on the response of its NEC to government's offer, which he, however, did not mention. .Senate President, David Mark who presided, came out of the meeting at about 12 midnight, and told journalists, 'We had a fruitful meeting; we are working hard for the good people of Nigeria. There is going to be an end to the problem soon'.The Government team was led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; and included Governors of Niger, Edo, Lagos, Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa and others, as well as Ministers of Finance, Petroleum, Labour, Justice, Trade and Investment,Information, and others.The meeting which started at 7.30pm and ended four hours later (with a 15 minutes break observed at about 10pm) also had in attendance, Speaker of the House of Reps, Aminu Tambuwai, his deputy Emeka Ihedioha and other NASS members.Meanwhile, a meeting of the coalition of civil society groups that had driven the five-day mass action that started last Monday, yesterday vowed to continue mobilising Nigerians to stage street demonstrations from tomorrow, should Labour agree to fuel price higher than the old N65.This resolution emerged at a joint media briefing between the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, and the EnoughisEnough, EiE, at Ikeja in Lagos yesterday. The meeting held even as leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, resumed their meeting with the President and some members of his cabinet, executives of the Governors' Forum withleaders of the National Assembly in attendance.The Civil Society warned that the mass action, expected to resume tomorrow would be protracted, should Federal Govt refused to agree to revert the price of fuel to the pre-january 1 N65.Prior to the Labour leaders meeting with the Executive last night, The National Executive Councils, NEC of the NLC and TUC, had mandated their representatives to insist on N65.It was unclear last night how Government would receive Labour's rigid position, which also tallies with demand of the Civil Society groups.At the briefing in Lagos yesterday, Executive Director of EnoughisEnough, Nigeria, 'Yemi Adamolekun, noted that the demands of protesters have now gone beyond the reversal of subsidy removal, and petrol price to N65. While faulting the position of government on why the subsidy regime was ended, Adamolekun said: 'you can't add more money to a corrupt system and expect miracles.'Dividing the struggle into two phases, the coalition said regardless of whatever agreement the Federal Government reaches with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the protests will continue unless the price is reverted to N65 from N141. The EiE also insisted on a reversal of the 'no work, no pay' order issued by the Federal Civil Service to its striking workers; and a demonstration by government of readiness to tackle corruption.Similarly, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) warned that Nigerians were watching negotiations between organised labour and government keenly. In a statement, the CLO's Executive Director, Ibuchukwu Ezike reminded Labour negotiators that the current struggle is not a labour struggle alone, but that in which Nigerians have made sacrifices.'Any agreement they strike with government devoid of reversal to N65 pump price will not be acceptable to Nigerians and it will be rejected. CLO rejects all the arguments presented by the government in the defence of its action because it lacks logic and are only fabricated to deceive Nigerians', stated CLO.Meanwhile a new slant may have been introduced into the ongoing mass action against subsidy removal, as some civil society groups in the Niger Delta may have coalesced to rally support for government's position..As at Thursday, Asari Dokubo, former militant leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) led a peaceful rally of a sizeable crowd, threatening to defend the position of President Jonathan.According to him, should PENGASSAN carried out its threat to shut oil production from today, he would rally former militants, to take over and ensure that PENGASSAN does not return.At the weekend, a coalition that called itself Deltans Occupy Niger Delta Resources (NDONDR), in a communiqu said it would take its resources back, by all legal means available to it.The release signed by Ankios Briggs, President Agape Birthrights and convener of the (NDONDR) reads, 'Niger Delta and oil resources found in the Niger Delta belong to Niger Delta people. All resources found in any other region of Nigeria belong to the people of such region. We call on all our Niger Delta people, for the sake of our future to look to our nearest neighbours, the Ibos for immediate and strong alliance, to enable the Niger Delta nations and the Igbo nation to face the obvious change that will come to Nigeria, in strength, justice, brotherhood and truth.'If Jonathan, a Niger Delta son is not good enough to govern Nigeria, the oil in his Niger Delta is not good enough for Nigeria. If the Niger Delta people are not good enough to be part of good governance in Nigeria, then our oil and gas of the Niger Delta peoples is not good enough for Nigeria.''Accordingly, CLO demands that such resolutions of the meeting should, include but not limited to Nigerians sitting down with the state actors to re-discuss Nigeria, including discussing issues relating to corruption and how it should be killed, discussion on the bogus salaries and allowances for politicians (especially those in both the executive and legislative arms) and the articulation of people-oriented economic framework would diversify the economy to create wealth and end politician- and corruption -induced sufferings of our people.'Any agreement devoid of these critical issues may not be acceptable to Nigerians because convincing documents, accusations and counter accusations have demonstrated how public funds are shamelessly looted by the government and its agents. In this wise, it will be absolutely nonsensical to ask Nigerians who have sacrificed hugely to make further sacrifices while the politicians and their associates feed fat on state resources.
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