Rolling out soldiers to crush protest is a crime against humanity

Rolling out soldiers to crush protests, a ‘crime against humanity’say Osun CSOs By Our Correspondent Newsdiaryonline Thur Jan 19,2012

A coalition Civil society groups in Osun State have berated the leadership of organized labour of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) ally for suspending the strike action they embarked upon over the removal of oil subsidy by the federal government.

The groups under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Societies in Osun State in a statement signed by its coordinating Chairman and secretary, Comrades Biodun Agboola and Rasheed Raji and made available to newsmen in Osogbo today, decried the deployment of soldiers to streets in Lagos State and other states in the southwest saying the action was undemocratic.

They argued that the deployment of armed soldiers to put a stop to popular protest against the fuel price hike by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led federal government was a crime against humanity.

While calling for the immediate and unconditional release of leaders and activists arrested by police and armed soldiers in the course of the embarking on protest over subsidy removal, the group said that the protest was civil and normal.

According to the statement, “we view the rolling out of Soldiers on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan to put an end to popular protest against the fuel price hike as undemocratic, unconstitutional and constitute a crime against humanity."

While calling on all Nigerians not to rest on their oars in condemning the increase in the price of petrol the group noted that Nigerians did not deserve fuel hike from President Goodluck Jonathan as the New Year’s gift.

The group insisted that public rallies at designated places against fuel price hike should continue, adding that neighborhood meetings to prosecute the protest to a logical conclusion must commence forthwith.

They maintained that the unilateral fixing of the fuel price at N97:00 per litre by President Goodluck Jonathan was unacceptable to Nigerians, saying “the Coalition of Civil Societies in Osun State hereby rejects in all its entirety the treacherous collusion of the Labour bureaucracies or otherwise known as NLC/TUC with the Nigerian State to subvert the wishes and will of the Nigerian people on this matter. As far as we are concerned NLC and TUC are on their own. We stand on N65:00 per litre”