Lamidi, a-9 year old boy was part of the millions of Nigerians who came out to register their pain and agony at the on-going nationwide strike taking place throughout the country.
In a protest which took place at Jakande area of Lagos State, Lamidi said the purpose of joining in the protest organised by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and other civil organisations was to express his displeasure on how he had been badly treated by Nigerian governments.
According to him, it is a pity that President Jonathan has forgotten all his promises that he made to Nigerians and especially the Nigerian children.
Physically challenged protesting
Lamenting that the living standard of the Nigerian child is depreciating by the day especially since the introduction of the fuel subsidy removal.
His words: “My father used to give me N150 for both transportation and feeding allowances on a daily basis to school and right now, the same money is not enough for transportation. This is highly ridiculous especially to the Nigerian child, “he said.
“If this problem persists, I am sure every Nigerian child will not be happy with President Jonathan.” Asked if he wanted the strike to continue, he said, “I want this strike to continue until Nigerian government is ready to listen to us”, he added.
Mrs Chukwuemeka who lives in the Lakowe area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos said, “I woke up in the early hours of January 1 and found out that the only money on me was N300. I was still thinking on how to go about my life in the new year when I suddenly heard that the federal government had removed subsidy on fuel. Which means that everything in the country will be increased by 300 percent and we will be forced to live a miserable life.”
Asked why she joined in the protest she said, “I am ready to follow labour on this strike to any length because I don’t think there is anything worth living for.”
Lamenting the ordeal she
encounters on a daily daily basis, she said, “As woman, I’m expected to manage whatever money my husband gives me to put food on the table and at the same time contribute to the up-keep of the family. I have been doing this for the past 10 years as a housewife but right now, I am not sure of what to do,” she said.
“Things are very difficult now for the common man on the streets and Nigerian government is not helping matters. That is why I will support this struggle to the end and until we overcome, we will not relent.
“The only hope we have right now is the struggle and unless we get it right now, this government will continue to milk us to the end of the world,” she added.
At Sangotedo area of Ibeju-Lekki, a physically challenged who led the protest said he was supporting the Labour because he had lost the trust he had in the present administration.
“The administration of President Jonathan doesn’t favour the physically challenged, despite the fact that we are part of the Nigerians that voted him in as the president of Nigeria.
“He told us he has no shoes and that he is going to make sure that every Nigerian enjoys the wind of change and now the only thing he can give to us is destruction.
“The people are calling for reversal of the fuel price to N65 but we are saying that he should resign. Nigerians don’t trust him and his government anymore..
“The truth is that the physically challenged people don’t believe in him again and the high time he believed that, the better for him.”
Another woman in the area
said, “I am on the street looking for what my one year -old baby will eat. I want to buy pap in the neighbourhood and I can’t get pap.
“I can’t imagine this condition. I can’t get ordinary pap for my child. This government is not helping matters with the removal of subsidy. I’m afraid that this government is not thinking about the masses.”
No one could have expected the massive turnout by Nigerians in the on-going nationwide strike organised by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and other civil organisations. It has never happened before.”
The intention was to express displeasure over the removal of fuel subsidy and other issues that are allegedly crippling the nation in general.
A protester said, “Everything in the market has increased at least by 400 percent. In my shop, I have exhausted all my goods in stock and I am preparing to go to the market and unfortunately, the cost of transportation is high which is making life miserable and unbearable for us.
As it is, I cannot go to the market because drivers are charging exorbitantly. They are not coming out to bring the goods from the marketplace, due to the sudden removal of subsidy. Our stand is that if government did not reverse the removal of subsidy, Nigerians are going to fight it to the end.”
“Although, it is holding everybody back at home, the strike must continue for Nigerians to register their grievances. There are always ways for the common man on the street to express their grievances and voices and it has to be through this strike, without it the government cannot hear our voice. Nigerian government should know that people are angry and hunger is in the land. Without this strike, there is no way . But the strike should also hit on the government for them to know that things are hard in the country. Nigerian workers must continue with the strike until the government is ready to listen to the groaning of the people.
“My opinion is that the strike action should continue so that things will be put right. Before now, my business was normal but since the commencement of the strike, things have gone wrong . Right now, I don’t have goods in stock but I am happy because this fight is a course that must be fought.”
A yellow bag of corn before
subsidy was N8500 while the white corn was N7500 . Now, the prices have been increased, he said. Nobody is ready to sell and there is no vehicle to transport the goods. Everybody is holding their stock saying that after strike, they will be selling again.
DJ Army First, Public Business centre, has done job for the past 10 years. For him, “the issue of subsidy is affecting this country so much that it is difficult to say what the future holds for the common on the street. Financially, everything is crippled and the government of the country is not ready to listen to us. Nigeria is losing so much on this issue, it is difficult to live on a daily basis.
For me, I can’t power my generating set because of the increase in fuel price. The masses are tired of fainted promises and if government fails to listen to people, it might end like what happened at Libya, Egypt. That is my fear about this subsidy.
I run a business centre where people come to watch ball but since, the commencement of the removal of subsidy, I haven’t been able to open my shop. It has been under lock and keys and things have been so difficult for me. People are not happy and this government didn’t deemed it fit to reverse its policy. I also use internet services but right now, internet service is not going through. The truth is that, this subsidy is affecting Nigerians negatively.
Things that we bought for N10 before is now N30 while things sold at N50 are now N100. Transportation within the locality has also increased. The taxi drivers are charging exorbitantly because of the increment in the price of fuel. And that is why it has affected my business. I think the strike action is the solution because from the action, I think, it will lead to something else if the government fails to reverse it.
They also know that it has affected the masses. They don’t buy fuel, they spend our money, they don’t know the magnitude of the problem that the masses are going through. They asked Lamido Sanusi the last time he bought fuel. He said, he didn’t know. So it means that they use everything free and the masses are suffering.
They are supposed to be working for the masses but they are against the masses now. They are now representing us well. free fuel, food and everything while the common man on the street suffers.
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