IG of Police Should Stop Threatening Nigerians with State Violence

Tuesday, January 17^th 2012

PRESS STATEMENT

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