BOKO HARAM'S THREAT LETTER TO NLC

From: Boko Haramistgroup <bokoharamistgroup@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 7:20 PM
Subject: warning....
To: "gsec@nlcng.org" <gsec@nlcng.org>

WARNING : I said it recently, the so call robbers Labour Union & his wife TUC, are bastards traitors that dey will disappoint Nigerians, how can dey submits to the pressure, who sent them is not on fuel subsidy alone,i am talking about d highest CORRUPTION in the land. What was a stay at home protest will that yield any result? The Battle Line is Drawn.BADLUCK wants WAR, he belives in his IJAW MILITANTS.
the man did not understand what Nigerians want. On #65 i stand. Is the most Useless President Nigeria ever had. his. PHD is questionable.

  Am using this oppoutunity to tell abdulwahed omar to resign with imediate effect,NLC AND TUC be prepared for fire at your head offices and offices nationwide soonest (friday 2012).

January 23, 2012

Press Statement

ARREST THE CARNAGE NOW

The Nigeria Labour Congress views with patriotic concern the growing state of insecurity that seem to have engulfed some parts of the country, and calls for far reaching actions from the Federal Government.

Armed groups have been attacking residents of several parts of the North, culminating in the bloodiest of such attacks in Kano where about 250 people were reported to have died as a result of multiple bomb attacks in several locations in the commercial city. This was followed with another attack in Bauchi.

We see in all these attacks a total failure of our security system that has consistently displayed incompetence in securing lives and properties of everyone living in Nigeria.

We have noticed that on all occasions when bombs were detonated, all we hear from security agencies are lamentations about their state of helplessness as well as unfulfilled promises of improvement.

We call on the Federal Government to urgently overhaul the country’s security and intelligence community as well as provide contemporary equipments and manpower that will enable the various agencies improve their competence in handling security challenges, especially as terrorism seems to have taken root in Nigeria.

We however note that what has heightened these challenges are deeply rooted in our government’s failure in combating the country’s socio-economic deficiencies which has led to unemployment, collapse in our education system, collapse of industries as well as other infrastructures. All these have been compounded by the recent increase in the pump price of petrol.

We therefore call on the government at all levels to take urgent steps to address these socio economic challenges.

On behalf of all Nigerian workers, we condole with the families of all those who lost their lives in these unfortunate incidents and also call on government to compensate all the families of the dead as well as take responsibility for the effective treatment of those injured.

We appeal to all Nigerians to see every part of the country as their homes and reject the interpretation in some quarters that these attacks are directed towards ethnic cleansing.

Abdulwahed I.  Omar

President

PRESS STATEMENT Joint Action Front (JAF)

Joint Action Front (JAF)

10, Afolabi Lesi Street, Anthony-Ilupeju, Lagos

08035068524, 08033347962, E-mail: jnt_action@yahoo.co.uk

 

Tuesday, January 17^th 2012

IG of Police Should Stop Threatening Nigerians with State Violence

THE STRUGGLE FOR REVERSAL OF FUEL PRICE TO N65 MUST CONTINUE!

1.    The Joint Action Front (JAF) - the pro-labour civil society partner in the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) condemns the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim for his unguarded utterances of unleashing untold state violence on Nigerians who dare to peacefully protest the wicked imposition of the fuel price of N97.

2.    The uncivilised and provocative statement suggests a premeditated plot by the IGP and his band of trigger-happy cops to not only repress the legitimate expression and freedom of assembly of Nigerians against this cruel anti-poor policies by the insensitive Jonathan presidency; but his malicious intention to criminalise patriots and the fighting organisations of the people such as the Joint Action Front (JAF) with triumphed-up charges of treason and act of subversion.

3.    Nigerians home and abroad and the international community must be told that the Jonathan presidency is already drifting into dictatorship with its recourse to blackmails and frame-up of dissenting voices with treason; but also the brutalisation of peaceful protests across the country between 9^th and 16^th January 2012, which have resulted into executive lawlessness, arrest and threat of it by the Police and security operatives, and the unprovoked and extra-judicial killing of scores of peaceful protesters.

4.    The Federal Government and the IGP must be told that the rights of Nigerians to dissenting views and protest is constitutionally guaranteed and legitimate, and can therefore not be subjected to the dictate or benevolence of a trigger-happy IGP or his puppeteers.

5.    JAF wishes to note that the irresponsibility and failure of Governments at all levels to address the basic needs and aspirations of the majority Nigerians constitute enough grounds for Nigerians to protest not only against the untold hardships arising out of the bad economic and failed policies of a desperate Federal Government; but to struggle for SYSTEM CHANGE.

6.    The IGP and his puppeteers and class of looters and profiteers must be told in clear term that the Joint Action Front (JAF) is a patriotic social movement that is at the heart of Nigerian people and has a history of engagement with the bad policies of Government, in partnership with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, that include struggle against perennial hike in fuel prices, wicked policies of privatisation and deregulation, and for a living wage for the Nigerian working people, among several other struggles.

7.    Also, the IGP must be properly informed about the goals of JAF which are well articulated in the open and well circulated in its bulletins across the country. Hence we in JAF are not in any way deterred by the threat of frame-up for treason and subversion charges, which is characteristic of any regime drifting into fascism.

8.    Therefore, JAF demands the unconditional withdrawal of the military occupation of protest venues across the country that include Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, etc. The military occupation if not disbanded immediately has implication for executive lawlessness and anarchy.

9.    JAF remains committed to the legitimate demand of the Nigerian people on REVERSAL of FUEL PRICE to N65 and we urge Nigerians to continue the MASS ACTION in the streets and neighbourhoods until the REVERSAL to N65 is achieved. Nigerians must know that the N97 imposition is just a smokescreen, and that prices of fuel will continue to rise as long as the policy of deregulation is in force and life will become more unbearable, hence the imperative need for Nigerians to continue to mobilise and organise for resistance.

·         JAF is focused on the goal of SYSTEM CHANGE which means that Nigerians must struggle to bring about a POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ORDER that will end the era of Privatisation, Deregulation, looting and exploitation by the corrupt capitalist ruling cabals and ensure that wealth of the country is judiciously applied to benefit the majority working population (formal and informal sectors) and the poor.

Aluta Continua

 

COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU

JAF Secretary

THE MASS PROTESTS AND STRIKE WERE SUCCESSFUL

It is important to thank all Nigerians who participated in the national strike and mass protests across the country and abroad. I do believe the struggle is just starting. And we all need to believe in our collective ability to unite against the very tiny clique in and out of government that are united against the rest of us, using all the apparatus of state power to arrest, murder, maim, blackmail and destroy the oppressed each time we, the people, rise in unison against them.

The past few weeks convinced me more than ever before that the revolution is just around the corner. The overwhelming unity of our people was marvelous just as the unprecedented strong resolve by everyone to keep up the protests until the desired changes are achieved.

Yes, not a few are angry that labour suspended the strike. I think your anger is is real and expected. But, I want to remind us all that the trade unions in Nigeria are entities created by law and operate strictly, for now, within the operational guides of industrial relations. Under this premise, the unions make demands, which are presented before employers/government; they go into negotiations, and when negotiations fail, the unions proceed on strike. That is the tradition imposed by law on the unions.

Here in Nigeria, the unions have tried several times to break out of this legal bondage and on each occassion, the state blackmails them.

In this recent case, the demand by the unions was just on fuel price increase, and NOTHING more.
And as the strike progressed, the unions were called for dialogue and presented with different price options but the leaderships of both the NLC and TUC CONSISTENTLY SAID NO, GOVERNMENT MUST RETURN TO N65/LITRE BEFORE ANY NEGOTIATION. That was praiseworthy and they stood on this point, until the blackmail that the strike has been hijacked by some people for political advantage. The unions certainly faced a strong handicap on this because, for the unions to advance further, they need a strong movement of strongly visioned civil society activists, under one strong national platform that can keep carry on, as massively as possible on all other demands that are unrelated to labour's demands. The truth is, this type of platform is absent in Nigeria and each time attempts were made to build one, it doesn't work because a lot of people, though very angry at the situation in Nigeria, lack organisational discipline to survive within such movements. Everyone wants his own organisation. Everyone wants his own platform. Everyone wants his own protests. Everyone wants his own street. And that way, we will lose the much needed common voice. We will lose the common purpose. And that's the problem. No revolution has ever succeeded under such circumstances.

However, despite all these, labour has always been eager to break out of the contraptions imposed on it by law and extend its hands to the civil society groups (as people call cells of activists these days). This led to the formation of the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) with three constituents- NLC, TUC and the Joint Action Front ( which is itself a coalition of active and conscious organisations with clear understanding and focus on what it takes to have a better society). Even this has not fully grown to maturity, but no one will wait until then before challenging oppression.

As it is, we surely need to look at the suspension of the strike as an interim option to save lives and the few organisations we have from being destroyed. This could have happened.

What I can take from what has happened is that Nigerians have become more conscious, determined, fearless, and united and ready to challenge the state. But, a common platform is absent and this is what we urgently need. We can't put all our hopes on just one organistion, whose scope of demands and operation is limited. And I think this is why most people were shocked and disappointed at the suspension of the strike.

However, even on the price reduction agenda of the trade unions, we should not lose hope because the N97 announced by Jonathan is not the outcome of negotiations with labour. It was the Emperor's unilateral decision. The NLC and TUC are resuming negotiations to actualise the demand for the return of petrol pump price to N65.
This should not stop the rest of the conscious society from organising and building a strong movement that will be able to speak with one voice, under one platform and for well defined agenda popular enough to attract the commitment of everyone.

Afterall, fuel price increase is merely a symptom of the decadence of the state. The ultimate struggle should be a change that will usher good governance and break the string with neo liberal economies.

After a deep reflection between yesterday and this afternoon, I think we should look at these issues this way and stop troubling our hearts over the suspension of the strtikes. Labour has tried within its capacity and legal space.
We have not lost anything, rather we have collectively gained a lot. We only need to build on this.

No one should be in doubt that the Jonathan regime was terribly jolted. They never expected what they got, and we should reassure them they will be terrified by the fire next time.

WE WILL RECLAIM NIGERIA. Its a matter of time, and the time is getting closer.

Press Statement WHY LABOUR—FG TALKS STALLED AND STRIKE/PROTESTS CONTINUE MONDAY

 15^th January, 2012

The talks between the Federal Government and Labour represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC)  in Abuja on Saturday 14^th January, 2012  stalled due to differences on the methodology in finding a solution to the crisis.

Labour’s analysis of the situation is that tension is very high in the land following the fuel price increase, the resultant strikes, rallies and street protests and the human causalities that have followed. And thata suspension of the new petrol prices will reduce tension and return the country to normalcy.

We decided to make a plea to President Goodluck Jonathan in the overriding interest of the country to suspend the PMS (petrol) price increases and direct that talks between government and Labour be concluded on the petroleum industry especially at it affects fuel subsidy and pricing within a short time frame.

We made a pledge that once the price increase suspension is announced, Labour and its allies will immediately suspend the strikes, rallies and street protests.

The summary of Labour’s position at the meeting was that talks and consultations were on-going before government aborted them by announcing the 120-220 per cent increase in the price of petrol, and that it is necessary to return to the status quo in order to douse tension, return the country to normalcy and allow for a conducive atmosphere for consultations and talks.

However, Government’s only offer was to reduce the new prices while declining to allow a phased price increase. We think that the government position will not return the country to normalcy. The Labour Movement pledges that whenever and wherever government invites us for talks, we shall be there without any conditionality.   

Objectives of the Strikes and Protests

The Labour Movement once again reiterate that the strikes, rallies and streets protests must be peaceful and that the objective is the reversal of the petrol (PMS) prices to their pre-January 1, 2012 level.  We are therefore not campaigning for ‘Regime Change’

The Labour Movement is wedded to democracy, therefore, anybody or group that wants a change in the political leadership of the country at whatever level, should do so through the ballot box.

The Labour Movement and its Civil Society allies are also saddened by the unprecedented loss of lives and injuries sustained during the indefinite strikes, rallies and streets protests that commenced from Monday January 9, 2012.

We reiterate that those who visit violence on protesters and their masters who gave such evil orders will individually be brought to justice.

We in the Labour Movement have done our duty to our country; we have made tremendous sacrifices including loss of lives; we have carried out the mandate of the Nigerian people; we can do no more.

For the avoidance of any doubt, the indefinite strikes, rallies and protests continue nationwide from Monday 16^th January, 2012.

Owei Lakemfa                                               John Kolawole

Acting General Secretary                           Secretary General

Nigeria Labour Congress                     Trade Union Congres

WEEKEND BREAK FOR STRIKES, RALLIES AND PROTESTS

13^th January, 2012

PRESS STATEMENT

WEEKEND BREAK FOR STRIKES, RALLIES AND PROTESTS

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Action Front (JAF) commend the Nigerian people for turning out in their millions  since Monday January  9, 2012, to protest the astronomical increase in the price of PMS (Petrol).  We commend them for their resolute stand and insistence in struggling for a better country.

The Labour Movement and its civil society allies after nationwide consultations has decided that this weekend, Saturday 14^th  and Sunday  15^th January, 2012, will be observed as strike, protest and rally-free days.

We ask Nigerians to utilize these days to rest, restock and get re-energized for the continuation of the strikes, rallies and protests from Monday 16^th January, 2012.

Discussions with Government

The NLC, TUC and their allies in the Civil Society Movement on Thursday 12^th January,  2012 met with the Senate leadership, Nigeria Governors Forum and the Executive Arm.

At the meeting,  Labour asked the Presidency to suspend the new petrol (PMS) price increases announced on January 1, 2012.  In return, we offered to suspend forthwith, the strikes, mass rallies and street protests. We also suggested that an expanded committee be set up which would discuss the fuel subsidy issue and pricing for petrol.

The Government side presented a counter proposal asking Labour to negotiate new fuel prices. Since we had no such mandate, Labour declined and decided to return to its National Executive Council meetings which will be held on Saturday 14^th January, 2012 for a possible expanded mandate.

Labour commends the National Assembly for its intervention and further urges the Presidency to be more reconciliatory towards the people and show more understanding and sensitivity to their feelings and collective interests.

Owei Lakemfa                                                       John Kolawole

NLC Acting General Secretary                         TUC Secretary General

PRESS STATEMENT WEEKEND BREAK FOR STRIKES, RALLIES AND PROTESTS

13th January, 2012 The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Action Front (JAF) commend the Nigerian people for turning out in their millions  since Monday January  9, 2012, to protest the astronomical increase in the price of PMS (Petrol).  We commend them for their resolute stand and insistence in struggling for a better country. The Labour Movement and its civil society allies after nationwide consultations has decided that this weekend, Saturday 14th  and Sunday  15thJanuary, 2012, will be observed as strike, protest and rally-free days. We ask Nigerians to utilize these days to rest, restock and get re-energized for the continuation of the strikes, rallies and protests from Monday 16thJanuary, 2012. Discussions with Government The NLC, TUC and their allies in the Civil Society Movement on Thursday 12th January,  2012 met with the Senate leadership, Nigeria Governors Forum and the Executive Arm. At the meeting,  Labour asked the Presidency to suspend the new petrol (PMS) price increases announced on January 1, 2012.  In return, we offered to suspend forthwith, the strikes, mass rallies and street protests. We also suggested that an expanded committee be set up which would discuss the fuel subsidy issue and pricing for petrol. The Government side presented a counter proposal asking Labour to negotiate new fuel prices. Since we had no such mandate, Labour declined and decided to return to its National Executive Council meetings which will be held on Saturday 14th January, 2012 for a possible expanded mandate. Labour commends the National Assembly for its intervention and further urges the Presidency to be more reconciliatory towards the people and show more understanding and sensitivity to their feelings and collective interests. Owei Lakemfa                                                       John Kolawole NLC Acting General Secretary                         TUC Secretary General