Nigerian opposition parties back labour, civil society, to mobilise for mass protests

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, a coalition of opposition parties in the country, has just issued a statement aligning with the position of organised labour and civil society on the withdrawal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

“CNPP pledges our unalloyed support to Labour for Mass Action and stand against the systemic dysfunctional regime of President Goodluck Jonathan, the ugly financial recklessness in the management of fuel importation and crass crony capitalism which characterize the administration,” spokesperson of the coalition, Osita Okechukwu, said in a statement after an “extensive” emergency meeting of his organisation.  

“We are making this pledge hoping that Labour will not renege and compromise until President Jonathan reverses this ignoble decision, build new refineries, frees NNPC from rampant corruption and reduces the jumbo cost of running government, especially the presidency.”

Read full statement below.

Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} after an extensive meeting on the State of the Nation last night resolved to support the Mass Action declared by the Labour Movement in Nigeria, made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and pro-people civil society for their ultimatum to President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse the petrol price to N65, on or before Sunday 8 January 2012.

We admonish President Goodluck Jonathan to muster all sense of humility, listen to voice of reason and honour the demand of Labour and majority of Nigerians; by reversing the illegal pronouncement of removal of Fuel Subsidy made in error and in utter contravention of the PPPRA Act forthwith.

It is our considered view that this is the only panacea to save our fledgling democracy and our dear country from the unintended consequences of a protracted Mass Action; which may paralyze an already tensed polity.

CNPP has in our 7-Point-Charter pointed out that Nigerians after being duped severally by successive regimes are not yet convinced that President Jonathan who is a senior member of the regime which squandered over $30 billion Excess Crude Account, and fraudulently jacked up Fuel Subsidy from N261 billion in 2006 to over N400 billion in 2008 and to crown it under his watch as president the Fuel Subsidy for no genuine reason spiraled from N600 billion in 2010 to N1.4 trillion in December 2011 cannot be trusted. Trust is the key to legitimacy.

We agree with Federal Government argument that there is no gain without pain; however we cannot locate the pain of government officials when N300m for the purchase of crested wares – special marked plates, cups and cutleries is in the 2012 Budget submitted by President Jonathan to the National Assembly.

It is with nostalgia that we recall how we pleaded with Labour not to support the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} and by extension President Jonathan in the April elections; reminding them that the PDP’s economic policy is Food is Ready and their motto is share the money; which is 360 degrees at variance with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, clearly spelt out in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

CNPP pledges our unalloyed support to Labour for Mass Action and stand against the systemic dysfunctional regime of President Goodluck Jonathan, the ugly financial recklessness in the management of fuel importation and crass crony capitalism which characterize the administration.

We are making this pledge hoping that Labour will not renege and compromise until President Jonathan reverses this ignoble decision, build new refineries, frees NNPC from rampant corruption and reduces the jumbo cost of running government, especially the presidency.

Finally, we challenge government to make public the names of the oil marketers who are funding Labour and prosecute them accordingly; for it is a criminal and treasonable offence to make the country ungovernable. Failure to do so makes the allegation puerile; otherwise we are at a cliff-hanger and do not need propaganda and spin doctors.

Osita Okechukwu

National Publicity Secretary

CNPP