THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) made good its threat to cripple activities in Nigeria yesterday as it recorded success in its sit-at-home protest against the inauguration of President Umaru Yar’Adua.
NLC and its civil society allies under the aegis of Labour and Civil Societies Coalition (LASCO) had called out workers on a sit-at-home protest for yesterday and today to protest against what they said was the irregularities that marred the election that produced Yar’Adua.
The NLC yesterday also urged workers and Nigerians to hold “neighbourhood rallies” today to further the protest.
In Abuja, business activities were paralysed as workers and commercial outfits complied with the order.
Business and government activities were grounded, while three truckloads of police arrived at the Labour House headquarters of the NLC and cordoned off the premises.
As at 3. 30 p.m when the Nigerian Tribune visited the Labour House, a police pick-up van was still seen stationed close to the premises.
Despite threats by the police high command against any form of protests that would jeopardise the successful and peaceful handover of government to the president-elect, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’Adua today, the Nigerians were not deterred. Bonfires were lit in some parts of the FCT. Banks and other commercial outfits were closed to business.
Investigation revealed that in Garki, Central District and Wuse areas of the city, the roads were free of normal traffic while those who besieged their banks were turned back.
Reacting to the development, the NLC General Secretary, Mr. John Odah, said there was support for the sit-at-home protest, saying that the Federal Government added to the success, especially in the FCT, by asking workers to stay at home without declaring a public holiday.
In continuation of the protest, Odah said protesters “should do neighbourhood rallies” today and added that there was a problem in Nyanyan and Kubwa parts of the FCT yesterday between the police and the labour leaders.
In Ekiti State, many workers in the state deserted their places of work in compliance with the protest.
Nigerian Tribune investigations in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti, and some other parts of the state yesterday, revealed that offices were deserted by workers who opted for personal business like trading and hawking.
At the state secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, only a few top government officials were seen in their offices. Also, many banks did not open as at the time the Nigerian Tribune visited their premises.
One of the banks visited is a first generation bank in Ajilosun area of the town. The workers of the state House of Assembly were not in their offices and many workers in the Governor’s Office also did not show up.
The state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) was locked. No official could be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, a combined team of mobile and conventional policemen has been deployed in the state capital in preparation for the inauguration of the new administration.
The policemen could be seen at strategic places in the town. Speaking on the development, the state Police Commissioner, through the Public Relation Officer, Mr. Gabriel Celestine, said the police would do all they could to see that peace was maintained before, during and after the inauguration in the state.
In Rivers State, the sit-at-home order kept most public institutions like schools, offices and banks under lock. But there was no restriction of movement in Port Harcourt as people went about their business without molestation.
Armed mobile policemen were seen patrolling major streets in the state capital. Markets, motor parks, shops and other commercial concerns opened for business, just like the state election petition tribunal held its sitting uninterrupted at the High Court 2 in Port Harcourt.
It was further observed that staff of the Government House and the state Accountant-General’s office offered skeleton services. This, the Nigerian Tribune gathered, was geared towards ensuring the successful inauguration of Sir Celestine Omehia as the governor of the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, speaking through the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Ireju Barasua, told the Nigerian Tribune in a telephone interview that nothing unusual happened in the state.
In Kogi State, yesterday, labour leaders stormed the state secretariat and drove away workers who had arrived for work. The workers had defied the stay-at-home order by both the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress (TUC) and reported in their offices.
The state secretary of NLC, Mr. Segun Abdul, stated that the union went round some offices to ensure that workers complied with the directive from the national headquarters on the stay-at-home order.
Nigerian Tribune discovered that the state secretariat became deserted around 12 noon, while some banks that opened for business in the morning later closed shop.
However, some known customers were allowed in through a special arrangement. It was gathered that the closure of such banks was as a result of directives from their headquarters to guard against looting by hoodlums.
Rival Militants Clash Over American Hostages
FIVE members of the Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (NDDF), aka Egbema One, the militant group that abducted four American oil workers of Global Industries, May 8, have been kidnapped following a gun battle in the early hours of Sunday with militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND). MEND members had invaded the den of the Egbema One in the creek in a daring bid to rescue the hostages.
The five Egbema One fighters who were captured by MEND operatives were reportedly being held by the MEND in its own den. An unconfirmed reports yesterday said two or three others escaped from their captors while they were being taken to MEND's campground.
Vanguard learnt that before the raid by MEND, which accused the NDDF of undermining the Niger Delta struggle by allegedly demanding payoff for the release of the hostages, its high command had made an overture to the NDDF to release the hostages but the latter refused, saying they did not know the motive behind MEND's action.
MEND reportedly went back to the NDDF den after the Sunday offensive to ask for the handover of the hostages but the Egbema One called its bluff, resulting in a stalemate that has now put the life of the four hostages-- Messrs. Mike Roussel (anchor operator), Chris Gay (anchor operator), Kelvin Faller (barge foreman) and Larry Plake (anchor operator)-- in serious jeopardy.
MEND threatens to hand over militant hostages to JTF
A competent source hinted, yesterday, that MEND might consider handing over the NDDF captives to the Joint Military Task Force (JMTF) in the Niger Delta if NDDF refused to release the hostages.
NDDF confirms MEND attack
A member of the NDDF confirmed to Vanguard when contacted on Sunday that MEND operatives actually invaded their camp, asking them to release the four American oil workers, who work for an oil servicing company to the Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL).
"But they were trying to use force and we cannot succumb to that. If they want them released without meeting our demands, we want to know why but I want to assure you that nobody can take them by force from us or everybody will die, including the hostages. In fact, they are endangering the lives of the hostages with their action..
"They (MEND) sent some people to our camp in the early hours of Sunday. They took five of our men away and damaged our boat without provocation but we did not want to reply them, otherwise there would have been cataclysm in the creek.
"We are brothers and we don't want to fight our brothers but we cannot release the hostages to them and nobody can take the hostages away alive from this camp without discussing with us," he said.
Why we attacked NDDF - MEND
A top official of MEND who spoke to Vanguard on the development said the group had received complaints from Egbema One leaders and other Ijaw leaders in the Niger Delta on the activities of the NDDF, which was allegedly asking for money to release the hostages, saying: "MEND is against that. We don't kidnap for money and we have restated this point over and over.
"Some of these boys are giving a bad name to the struggle and we don't want that. In fact, we want to sanitise the system and stop all these people who are giving Niger Delta a bad name. MEND has never kidnapped without a reason. Never mind those who do all manner of things and say they are from MEND, it is not true. We only take hostages when it is necessary and we don't attach monetary demands to their release," he said.
Vanguard confirmed that some Ijaw leaders from Egbema kingdom actually complained to MEND on the activities of the NDDF and it was following their complaints that the group intervened.
However, the leader of the NDDF dismissed the allegation that the group was asking for ransom before the release of the hostages, saying: "You (Vanguard) came to our den, we allowed you and we told you our demands, we never mentioned money. We told you that we want development and that the Chevron Oil Company should sign agreement with us on what they want to do to develop our area with the government as an observer."
He said it was not true as reported in one of the national dailies that the NDDF was asking for N500 million ransom before the hostages could be freed.
Commander of the JMTF, Brigadier-General Lawrence Ngubane, told Vanguard when contacted on phone, yesterday, that he was not aware of the offensive by MEND against the NDDF, saying he would be happy if the militants realised on their own that taking of hostages was not doing the image of Niger Delta any good.
Officials of the CNL who were also reached by Vanguard said they were not aware of the raid by the MEND on the NDDF camp in its bid to release the four American oil workers.
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