Contrary to insinuation and heavy criticism that President Jonathan has no grip on the incessant violence carried out by the Boko Haram sect, the sacking of Mr Hafiz Abubakar Ringim as the Inspector General of Police alongside other DIGs has sent some jitters up the spines of people just as the new helmsman on the job, IG Muhammed Dikko Abubakar has vowed to fight all kinds of crime to a stand still.

Peace has taken flight from Gombe, forcing people, especially Christians from the southern part of the country, to leave the town. Those who have the guts to stay behind are in perpetual fear. Some who travelled for Xmas and New Year holidays are refusing to come back. Shops owned by most of the southerners have remained under lock and keys.

THE nationwide strike and street protests called off by Organised Labour and its civil society allies, under the banner of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, have come and gone, but echoes of the industrial action may remain with Nigeria for a long time to come.

Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Convener, Save Nigeria Group, SNG, organisers of the protest against the removal of petrol subsidy at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos which lasted five days in this interview with Saturday Vangurad, bares his mind on some issues that hindered the continuation of the protest, his views about Nigeria Labour Congress/TUC negotiation, and his plans to sustain the struggle despite the deployment of soldiers that aborted the protest last Monday.

A day to the commencement of the recent nationwide strike, the House of Representatives met in an extraordinary session on Sunday, January 8, 2012 during which it among others adopted a resolution calling on the executive to rescind the hike in the price of petrol and go back to the N65 per litre pump price that obtained prior to the New Year.