The result of the meeting between the Nigerian government and labor unions failed on Saturday night to end a paralyzing nationwide strike over high gasoline costs, potentially sparking an oil production shutdown in a nation vital to U.S. oil supplies.
Nigeria Labor Congress president Abdulwaheed Omar told journalists outside the presidential palace: "We have not reached a compromise." He avoided answering direct questions about whether oil production would shut down in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria had threatened to stop all oil production in Nigeria at midnight. President Babatunde Ogun was not immediately available for comment.
Nigeria, which produces about 2.4 million barrels of crude a day, is the fifth-largest oil exporter to the U.S. While the country has a several-week stock of oil ready for export, the threatened shutdown Sunday could shake oil futures as traders remained concerns about worldwide supply.
The strike began Monday, paralyzing the nation of more than 160 million people. The root cause remains gasoline prices: President Goodluck Jonathan's government abandoned subsidies that kept fuel prices low. On Jan. 1, causing prices to spike from 65 Naira per liter to 141 Naira per liter.
The costs of food and transportation also largely doubled in a nation where most people live on less than $1 a day.
Anger over losing one of the few benefits average Nigerians see from being an oil-rich country, as well as disgust over government corruption, have led to demonstrations across this nation and violence that has killed at least 10 people. Red Cross volunteers have treated more than 600 people injured in protests since the strike began, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday.
The Struggle Continues.
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BREAKING NEWS: Talks breakdown, NLC/TUC says no agreement to end strike
BREAKING NEWS: Talks breakdown, NLC/TUC says no agreement to end strike
NigerianEye
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
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Next week's strike will be mother of all strikes...
ReplyDeleteI pray the masses would not die of hunger and result in violence as the govt has paid deaf ear to the cry of the masses over fuel subsidy removal that has sky rocketed prices of various products across the country.
ReplyDeleteI PRAY THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN OTHER COUNTRIES IN A RELATED MATTER WILL NOT HAPPEN IN NIGERIA.............FG PLEASE,ALLOW LABOUR TO HAVE THIER WAY....IF PENGANSING SHOULD JOIN THE STRIKE,WAHALA DAY OOH.
ReplyDeleteTHE STRIKE IS THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND THESE INDECATE THAT PRESIDENT (GOODLUCK JONATHAN) IS NOT FULLY ELECTED BY THE MASSES. OH NIGERIANS LET US COME OUT AND FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHT. NIGERIA LOSES N2TRILLION IN 6DAYS. SO WERE ARE GOING?
ReplyDeleteTHE ISSUE IS THAT IF YOUR SALARY IS NOT ENOUGH, OVERTIME CAN NEVER BE. IF ALL THE MONEY REALIZED FROM SALE OF FUEL IS NOT ENOUGH FOR GOVT. TO WORK, THAT OF SUBSIDY CAN NEVER BE ENOUGH TO SOLVE LEGIONS OF NIGN PROBLEMS. AND THIS IS SO DUE TO MASSIVE CORRUPTION, LOOTING AND SHARING OF NIGN MONEY GOING ON IN VARIOUS ARMS OF GOVT. WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE TRILLIONS COLLECTED BY EFCC FROM GOVERNORS AND OTHERS WHO THEY SAID EMBEZZLED OUR MONEY. THE EFFECT IS NOT BEING FELT. THE MINIMUM WAGE OF N18,000 YET TO BE IMPLEMENTED CANNOT TAKE AN AVERAGE WORKER HOME AND YET THE FUEL PRICE IS HIKED THEREBY TRIPLING THE COST OF LIVELIHOOD. ACCORDING TO THE GUARDIAN, TUESDAY, JAN.10, 2012, THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MIN. WAGE OF OTHER OIL PRODUCING COUNTRIES AND THEIR FUEL PRICE.
ReplyDeleteCOUNTRY: FUEL PRICE: MIN. WAGE(N)
VENEZUELA: N3.61: N95,639
KUWAIT: N34.54: N161,461
S/ARABIA: N25.12: N99,237
IRAN: N102.05: N86,585
QATAR: N34.54: N101,250
UNITED A. EMIR.: N78.18: NOT AVAILABLE
ALGERIA: N63.55: N55,957
LIBYA: N26.69: N23,813
IRAQ: N59.66: N25,813
NIGERIA: N141.00: N18,000?
THE ONLY COUNTRY CLOSER TO THE PROPOSED FUEL PRICE IS IRAN. IF WE FOLLOW SUIT, NIGERIAN MIN. WAGE SHOULD NOT BE ANYTHING LOWER THAN N100,000.00. UNTIL THAT IS DONE, IT IS MORALLY WRONG TO INCREASE FUEL PRICE. THIS IS DOABLE AND ACHIEVABLE IF OUR RULERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL CUT DOWN ON THEIR EXCESSIVE SPENDING AND 'GRABBING'. THERE SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMPLIANCE TO OUR CONSTITUTION. OUR EXECUTIVES SHOULD PAY FOR SOME PUBLIC GOODS AND SERVICES THEY ENJOIN LIKE ANY OTHER NIGERIAN. THOSE WHO CART OUR NAIRA AWAY TO BUY BOURGEOIS PROPERTIES ABROAD SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO BOOK. THIS IS TIME TO PRAY TO GOD TO HAVE MERCY FOR THIS COUNTRY. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ELECTED BASED ON THEIR CAPABILITIES AND ANTECEDENTS AND NOT SENTIMENTS. HOWEVER, TUC/NLC SHOULD APPLY CAUTION AS THEY DIALOGE. IF FED. GOVT. INSISTS ON N90/L, FOR THE SAKE OF AVERAGE NIGNS WHO MUST GO OUT DAILY BEFORE THEY CAN EAT, WE CAN LET GO BUT INSIST ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. NEXT ELECTION, WE THEN USE OUR VOTES RIGHTLY. GOD BLESS NIGERIA!! IT IS WELL. WE SHALL TESTIFY THE GOODNESS OF GOD THIS YEAR DESPITE FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL. GOD IS ON THE THRONE. SHALOM!!
FUCK GOODLUCK JONATHAN... FUCK HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR FAMILES.. FUCK THE SENATE HOUSE AND THEIR FAMILY.. FUCK ME TOO COS NONE OF THEM WILL SEE THIS POST...BUT THEY WILL ALLLLLL DIEEEEEE...GOODLUCK YOU WILL DIE OF BADLUCKS.
ReplyDelete