. No more rallies ' Ringim. FG to pay N44 subsidy per litreMain labour unions NLC and TUC yesterday called off the national strike and protests over fuel subsidy removal, ending a week-old confrontation with the government after President Jonathan reduced petrol price to N97 per litre.'In the past eight days through strikes, mass rallies, shutdown, debates and street protests, Nigerians demonstrated clearly that they cannot be taken for granted and that sovereignty belongs to them,' president of the Nigeria Labour Congress Abdulwaheed Omar told journalists at a news conference in Abuja.'Labour and its allies formally announce the suspension of strikes, mass rallies and protests across the country.'Jonathan yesterday reduced petrol price to N97 per litre from about N141, following series of botched negotiations with the unions, who insisted on reversal to pre-New Year's Day price of N65.With the reduction, the Federal Government would now be paying a subsidy of N44 on each litre of petrol, according to figures from the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).Omar said the unions would begin discussions with the Federal Government team led by Justice Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore to press for further reduction of petrol price and general cleansing of the petroleum sector.The removal of petrol subsidy announced by the Federal Government on January 1 sparked street protests in nearly all major cities around the country, which turned violent in several of those places, leading to the death of at least 15 people.The NLC president, who spoke along with his counterpart of the Trades Union Congress Peter Esele, said the unions decided to end the strike and demonstration so as to save lives and in the interest of national survival.Omar said the strike was successful because it forced government to reduce price of petrol to N97 per litre, even though 'this new price was a unilateral one by the government.''Secondly, government has been made to adopt the policy to drastically reduce the cost of governance. A third major success Nigerians recorded is to get the Federal Government to decisively move against the massive and crippling corruption in the oil sector,' he added.Answering questions on whether the decision by the unions would be acceptable to Nigerians, Esele said, 'I will assure you that we consulted widely and don't forget that we have the national executive council to which we report to. If we don't get their consent and permission, we will not come here to call off this strike.'Asked if labour would accept full deregulation of petrol, Esele said 'when we get to the bridge we will cross it.'But a coalition of civil society groups which were involved in the protests against subsidy removal said yesterday they were not consulted by labour before the announcement calling of strike and rallies.The coalition, under the banner of Building Leverage and Unity on Fuel Subsidy Struggle (BLUF), said at news conference in Abuja that 'We do not support the position; we insist on complete reversal before Nigerians will call off their agitations for fairness and dignity.'They accused the president of trying to blackmail civil society groups by alleging that they have a regime change agenda in protesting against subsidy removal.The CSO leaders were Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development; Ayodeji Ajayeoba, President, United Action for Democracy; Ayisha Osori, Director, Advocates for Change and Social Justice; Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Executive Director, Centre LSD; Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, Action Aid Nigeria, and Priscilla Achakpa of the Women Environmental Programme.Protests persist in citiesDespite labour's decision calling of strike and rallies, thousands of people took to the streets yesterday in Lagos, Kano and Kaduna, insisting on reversal of petrol price to N65 per litre.In Kano, the protest called by the state chapter of the NLC led by Isa Yunusa Danguguwa was attended by other unions and civil society groups, among them the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigerian Medical Association, as well as musicians including Aminu Ala.In Lagos, troops took over the Gani Fawehinmi Park Ojota, barring thousands of protesters from converging at the spot to continue demonstrations over subsidy removal.The park which has witnessed a flurry of activities in the last one week was blocked by soldiers. Few metres from the park, angry protesters were seen threatening to defy the soldiers to hold rallies.Soldiers were also stationed in Surulere, Ikoyi, Mushin and Abule Egba to stop any protests.One of the protest leaders Yinka Odumakin condemned the soldiers' invasion of the park and described it as barbaric. He urged the protesters to restrain from confronting the soldiers.In Kaduna, hundreds of people trooped to the Lugard Hall roundabout now renamed Unity Square to protest the N97 petrol price announced by President Jonathan, insisting on reversal to N65.Former Kaduna governors Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa and Colonel Hameed Ali, Malam Shehu Sani of the Civil Right Congress (CRC), Barrister Tajudeen Oladoja of the Occupy Nigeria group, Dr. Yunusa Tanko of the Save Nigeria Group, and Barrister Aliyu Umar, former NBA chairman in Kaduna attended the protest.Addressing the crowd, Balarabe Musa said the struggle for the reversal to the N65 per litre was just starting. 'The amount announced by the president is not acceptable. We are urging him to reverse back to 65 naira to show that he cares for Nigerians. If he fails, we will continue to mobilise other Nigerians to ensure that he reverse it,' he said.Yesterday, Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim threatened to arrest anybody who demonstrated, saying rallies after the labour unions had declared end to the standoff would be illegal.Ringim told journalists in Abuja: 'For the avoidance of doubt, any person(s) henceforth found on the streets, roads or pathways in this country continuing with the protests or marches shall be arrested and be charged to court immediately. You are all warned to be law abiding and respect the laws of our great country.
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