NLC, ASUU, others protest nation's woes

AS Nigerians yesterday marked the country's 52nd independence anniversary, the Joint Action Front (JAF) led some other aggrieved civil society groups round the city to protest alleged government insensitivity to the plight of the people.The protest which involved members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UI chapter led by Dr Segun Ajiboye, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Bashir Olanrewaju, National Socialist Movement, Senior Staff of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and other civil society groups took off at the UI entrant gate.Led by the state co-ordinator of JAF, Dr Ademola Aremu, the protesters in a procession moved towards Samonda, Sango, Elewure, Bodija, Housing Estate, Favours, Bodija and back to the University.The aggrieved group carried placards with varying inscriptions like: 'Nigeria at 52 still crawling like a toddler', 'Stop unemployment and Poverty now', 'We say no to fuel Hike and Privatisation' and No to Casualisation', 'We need good governance', 'Education must be free' and also chanted anti-government songs.Aremu while addressing the gathering, accused government of totally insensitive to the issue of flooding, insecurity, infrastructural decay and unofficial hike in the price of petroleum.He stated that the protest was to sensitise Nigerians to be ready to ask the government questions about the fuel subsidy probe, adding that the corruption of the rich and mighty had been the bane of underdevelopment in Nigeria.The group condemned the ongoing artificial scarcity of petrol as well as the unofficial increase in its price in many cities and towns across the country.'We consider these as manifestations of intrigues and game-plan by the 'Nigerian capitalist thieving elites and their representatives in government' to fully implement the lingering deregulation policy of the downstream oil sector.'Why would NNPC abandon repair works because of insecurity' How can a government that has enough armed forces to unleash terror on peaceful demonstrators protesting the senseless hike in fuel price in January now lack enough armed forces to secure workers and pipeline' Education has not fared better. The same government who claimed to use the money saved from subsidy to fund social services like education has just recently come-up with a recommendation through one of its constituted committee headed by one Mr Stephen Orasanye that students in Federal Universities should start paying tuition fees ranging from N450,000 to N500,000 in the name of full introduction of tuition fee regime into Nigeria University.'Aremu lamented the high rate of unemployment in the land and said that Nigerians were currently being exploited in the new billing rate of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
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