Monday, January 16, 2012

Was the Nationwide Strike by NLC and TUC Called Off or Sold Out?RICHARD OLUSEYE

Pathetically and sadistically this is coming so soon, I long expect that all these ills will come long before now, maybe my thought was erroneous or their think is off beam. I slept, on my scrappy bed pondering about the drama my country Nigeria is acting for the past few days, I saw how Nigerians where being forced to pick several characterization on the scene in the name of fuel subsidy, some youths mention Arab Spring, while some argued that with will sooner than later occur in Nigeria, some other who are educated with foresight and vision beat their chest claiming that such will never happen in this multi-ethical country called Nigeria. People flagged the occupy Nigeria logo everywhere, in their cars, blackberry Display Picture, Face book Profile picture and wall photo and so on. The drama was as going on as if it were never gonna come to an end. Some Dedicated and fingered Nigerians where carried away, that they belief the time for revolution is here.
I was moved by the crowed that enthusiastically participated in the protest, from Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna and others. I was poignant and filled with contempt when I noticed some people not coming out for the protest at the expense of other Nigerians who came out. I was wondering, are Nigerians not fighting for the same thing, and then I remembered, that I have not better understanding of what Nigerians are fighting for. So these set of questions began to rollercoaster right in my mind that I can’t still deduce the essence of the protest and nationwide strike. I wondered is it because of the removal of fuel subsidy or incompetence in government or corruption of our government and people that Nigerians are embarking the street amassed all in the name of protest. We have several civil societies coming up to address people and see reason why they should go on strike, it is pathetic that these civil societies successfully lure the market women and traders who manage themselves and family on the daily sales of goods and services, these people I belief depend so well on what they do on daily base to get money. I cannot forget a gentle man who approached me for money all in the name of treating his sick child who needed some drugs and I can’t shy away from the fact that my brother was also ill that my parent had to run hither scatter to get money to take him to the hospital that was billing over 70000naira, during strike! I cannot blame the hospital because I am sure they will have to pay their workers to fend for their families.
Far from this, many Nigerians had to sacrifice their time, job and listen to the appeal of NLC and TUC who jointly agreed that people should embark on strike, roads were scanty, protest ground were ample and people were dedicated, but many fail to understand what this was all about, many people were seen acting based on emotion and many see Nigerians to have woken up, even, international bodies were interested in seeing how everything ends.
As many people feel that the fight between NLC and the government is a fight against corruption many thought that the fight was for the government to reverse fuel price to its initial price. NLC reacted to the government not keeping to its word when government says that the removal of fuel subsidy will commence April. The NLC then said that government better reverse the fuel price to 65naira or nothing, it is however shocking that NLC is a victim of what it preaches against, NLC misled the people and lie to itself.
After long hours of meeting upon meeting that ends in a deadlock, NLC decides to call of the strike January 16, 2012, taking Nigerians for a fool and making many protesters look like a fools. Suffice to note that, many lives were lost in the protest; many citizens are in the hospital bed thanks to enforcing agents, like the Nigerian Police. It is pathetic also that what was brought to the round table by NLC to the government do not include ASSU strike and cut down of government allowance among many other things that the people of Nigeria demands from her government, rather, issue of fuel subsidy or no fuel subsidy was the issue of the day. I am lost to this kind of government and the various organizations that flaunt themselves as fighting for the people, as I have not trust whatsoever for these organization. Before the strike was called off, I had a report from an anonymous source that NLC has received a token from the government of the people to call off the strike, while others belief that the strike was a deliberate action to call for attention and all that, as we find many celebrities coming out to claim that they are against the decision of the government and for occupy Nigeria. Many folks claim they are ready for a revolution in Nigeria, but sadly, I see them not ready, because as we know the Arab spring people are drawing allusion to, was not triggered or done by any Union but rather by youths who feel they can die for a just cause for their country to “revolutionarize”. I have observed with great pain in my heart, that many Nigerians enjoy listing to sentimental words with baseless fact, they don’t only stop there, they allow their emotion to be the judge of their actions. I have watched with enormous lust, that the fight that we need is not against the government but we ourselves, for we make up the government and if we fail to be do away with corruption right from our intellectual capacity to monetary issues, Nigeria will continue to be where it is without growth in development and standard of living.
Let me say this in a conclusive note, that a fool at fifty is a fool forever, I belief Nigeria is old enough note to be fingered or intellectually masturbated. God bless Nigeria

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