*Labour shuts down Asaba

ASABA—Delta State capital, Asaba, was shut down for hours, yesterday, following the peaceful protest march staged by labour to protest the removal of fuel subsidy.

The protesters were accompanied by heavily armed security agents comprising the Army;  Police; State Security Services, SSS; and Civil Defence Corps, among others.

As early as 8am, all the government offices, including petrol stations, banks and markets were shut.

Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led the march through the streets in Asaba, commencing from the popular Traffic Light Junction to Government House, Asaba, where they were received by  Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Ovuozourie Macaulay, who incidentally was a former NLC chairman in the state.

Addressing the protesters, Macaulay assured them that the state government would ensure that their grievances were passed on to the appropriate authority, “which is in Abuja. That, I will assure you.”

Aside the few petrol stations on Benin/Asaba high way, which maintained skeletal services,  other filling stations in Asaba were shut.

Sapele

SECURITY agents took over major locations at Sapele, in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, making it impossible for organised labour and civil society groups to carry out their anti-fuel subsidy removal protest in the town.

The streets of the ancient timber city were largely empty as there was reduced vehicular traffic, while provision stores and supermarkets remained closed. The Sapele main market, other submarkets and  banks in the town were also locked up.

Only few groups of people were sighted in some parts of the town discussing the subsidy removal issue.

Yenagoa

Security operatives, yesterday, stopped the protest by Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in Bayelsa State from holding in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, over fear that it could spiral into violence.

The rally, billed to have commenced at 7am at the Opolo Junction, in the heart of the capital city and terminate at the Ovom Government House, failed to hold as the police authorities, after agreeing to the protest, later kicked against it over alleged security report that it could be hijacked by hoodlums.

Armed policemen backed by armoured personnel carriers were deployed in the Opolo axis, the supposed take-off point of the protest rally, which was shunned by residents, apparently for fear of being harassed by the police.

The development, however, prompted the civil society groups’ leaders to change tactics as they converged at the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat along Azikoro Road, Ekeki, where they addressed newsmen, on the fuel subsidy removal saga and the need for the Federal Government to revert to the old price.

Vice Chairman, Bayelsa chapter of CLO, Mr. Williams-Odonmini Flint, said they were forced to retreat to the council premises because the police refused them to go ahead with the protest.

Armed with placards, some of which read, “Repair our refineries and stop corruption in the oil industry,” “Let’s practice true federalism, subsidy must go,” “Why rush in removal of fuel subsidy, what about Petroleum Industry Bill?,”  the civil society groups noted that communities in the creeks of Niger Delta were not taken into consideration in the Federal Government’s palliative scheme.

Warri

The protest by  NLC, TUC and  civil societies groups, yesterday, paralyzed  business, commercial and office activities in Warri, Delta State as the Nigerian Ports Authority, banks, filling stations, schools and markets remained closed in obedience to the directive by NLC for a mass protest beginning from yesterday.

At the NPA, Delta Ports, Warri, workers in their numbers gathered as early as 7:30 am to ensure that all port operations were grounded. The workers, under the umbrella of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, told Vanguard that only security operatives  were allowed into the port for security duties, even as the Joint Task Force, JTF, the Navy and the Police with offices inside the port premises, were also allowed to go about their normal duties.

However, protesters gathered at the Old Port from where they embarked on a long procession against the fuel subsidy removal. The procession led by a lawyer, CDS Omo-Erhabor and other labour leaders, terminated their march at the Effurun Roundabout.