BY TONY EDIKE
ENUGU—OVER 60 anti-riot policemen and Armoured Personnel Carriers from Enugu State police command, yesterday, prevented organised labour from taking its anti-fuel subsidy removal protest march to the streets of Enugu.

The labour leaders decided to stage a protest on day four of the ongoing nationwide subsidy protest following heavy criticisms from members of the public for failing to observe the protest since it commenced Monday even with the hardship currently imposed on the people due to hike in fuel pump price to N170 per litre by dealers in the state.

Heavily armed policemen deployed to the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, state secretariat since Monday yielded to pressure from the organised labour and allowed the workers to hold a mini rally yesterday.

The protest was, however, restricted to the premises of the NLC situated near New Market, Enugu as the police prevented the workers from marching to the streets.

Only about 30 persons took part in the protest which was described by observers as a “mock protest and a show of shame”.

The state police command which was accused of infringing on the rights of the people to exercise their fundamental rights, had claimed that they were enforcing the state government’s ban on public assemblies, meetings and procession.

A police officer said they had orders to allow the labour leaders hold their rally but that must be done within their premises to avoid a situation where hoodlums would hijack the protest to cause trouble in the city.

The mini protest was led by the State Chairman of the NLC, Chumaife Nze and other union leaders who chanted anti-government slogan in protest against removing of fuel

subsidy.

Also chanting anti-police songs, the workers displayed placards with which they asked for a reversal

of the fuel pump price to the old regime of N65 per litre.

The policemen and passersby who watched the protest, laughed at the labour leaders who they viewed as making a mockery of the protest that had been successful in other states outside the Eastern region.

The state NLC chairman said the protest was an exhibition of courage to show the government that they were responsible and law-abiding citizens, adding that it was their civic right to demonstrate.

Nze stated that they were unable to go beyond the permitted or guarded arena because of the huge number of policemen with Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC, that barricaded the 100 metres arena.

“What they (Police and state government) are doing is against the right of the citizens but we said we must come out even if they are going to shoot us and we will continue to do it,” said the NLC Chairman.

On one of the labour leaders that was docked and thrown into prison for attempting to stage protest, the NLC state chairman said they have contacted the national office of the NLC, lawyers, the civil society and even the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, who he said are all taking action on the matter.

He denied reaching a compromise with the government to frustrate the protest and strike in the state, saying that the state government’s riot act prescribing protests in the state was unlawful and abominable.