The members of the Nigerian Police carried out its threat to use force to disperse any rally or protest with regard to the controversial fuel subsidy removal on Thursday as it forcefully disperse a rally of prominent Nigerians.
Among those at the rally were Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Dr. Tunji Braithwaute, Dr. Kalu Idka Kalu, Sheik Abduramah Amad, Dr. Lakin Akintola, Festus Keyamo, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, Nike Ransome Kuti, Funmi Iyanda, Mr. Wale Okunniyi, Yemi Adamolekun, Kola Oyeneyin, Prof. Tony Kila, Mr. Wale Ogunade and Dr. Wale Balogun.
The drama started at the State House of Assembly when a senior police officer, Tunde Sobulo, ordered the prominent Nigerians who had gathered at the Assembly to protest the deployment of soldiers to the streets of Lagos over the rallies in various parts of the state, to disperse or face the wrath of the law.
But, the eminent citizens defied the police and proceeded to move on foot to the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota in continuation of their protest rally.
However, on their way, policemen numbering over 100 attacked them with teargas.
The protest, under the aegis of National Action Coalition, also had in attendance Yerima Shettima of the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Director, Muslim Rights Concern, Dr. Is-haq Akintola.
They were forced to retreat at the Seven UP Bus stop by Motorway, along the Secretariat Road following the intensity of the teargas.
The policemen who barricaded the road forced vehicles coming from the Secretariat end to turn back, using teargas.
In the process, one of the protesters slumped and fainted and was immediately rushed away in one of the cars.
It was at this point the protesters had to turn back.
Earlier at the House of Assembly, the protesters carried placards with different inscriptions such as: “We are not at war. Send your soldiers back to the Barracks”, “All we want is N65 per litre and nothing more”, “Goodluck N65, Good N65, Badluck N97, Bad N97”, “Be responsible to those you are supposed to serve”, among other inscriptions.
In his speech at the Assembly, Braithwaite said the issue of fuel subsidy removal had not been resolved contrary to the impression given by the government.
According to him, there are bigger issues, including corruption as well as issues of the constitution.
He said many of the country’s foreign allies have used this as an advantage to exploit the country.
He also condemned the deployment of soldiers to the streets of Lagos.
On his part, 83-year-old Nwabueze said though the leaders of the country are scared of using the word “revolution, this is the beginning of the move by the people to rid the country of corrupt elements. We want to curb the country of all its rottenness. Every part of the administration of the country is rotten and we cannot continue like that.
“I referred to labour sometimes ago that they were the leading body of all civil society groups. But what they did recently without consultation with the other agencies of civil society groups in the country is to compromise all of us.
“But let me state here that what they did should not be looked at as a disappointment, but anger that should galvanise us all to action.”
He said the challenge now is to clear the country of its challenges by confronting the leaders through effective mobilisation of all sectors of the country.
He also described the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress as a disappointment.
Though the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Taiwo Kolawole, expressed the support of the House for their action, saying the House has already raised alarm over the deployment of soldiers to the state, which promoted the fight against military rule, the protesters asked the members of the House to join them at Ojota if they really supported the rally.
One of the conveners of the group, Mr. Wale Okunniyi, noted that the aim of the rally was to prove the democratic power of the Nigerian people.
He said: “It is to prove that the Nigerian people are actually the custodian of democracy and their wish should be respected.
“It is also to prove the need for true federalism in Nigeria because you can’t just deploy soldiers on the streets of Nigeria without getting the approval of the National Assembly and then you cannot deploy soldiers on the streets of Lagos when the state governor has not asked for help.
“These are problems we think we needed to confront to prove that power belongs to the people.
“The protest is about deployment of soldiers, fight against corruption, against a unilateral decision to impose a regime of N97 pump price of fuel on the nation.
“That is the point we have made. We are demonstrating our displeasure against all that.”
He deplored the action of the police, describing it as high handed, dictatorial and a bad omen for “our democracy and I think Nigerians have resolved to resist it and we will continue to resist all that and it is important that Nigerians decide that they are not taken as slaves again, so what we have done today is to show that we are displeased by that actions.”
Also Dr. Tunji Abayomi said he is on the street against corruption and against the degradation in the country.
He said: “In Africa, Nigeria is becoming one of the worst countries, if not even the worst. The system is in tatters because of corruption. We are no longer regarded as a nation. The structure and super structures are defective because you can’t build something on nothing.”
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