Monday 20 February 2012

RE: POLICE REPRESSION OF JAF’s MEMORIAL FOR MARTYRS OF FUEL PRICE HIKE STRUGGLE



IGP SHOULD CALL LAGOS POLICE COMMISSIONER TO ORDER,
REPRIMAND THE TRIGGER-HAPPY ACP NOAH ADESOYIN NOW!

1.    Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and irresponsible statement allegedly made by the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer - Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba – reported in the This Day newspaper of today February 20th in respect of the barbaric and criminal disruption of the peaceful procession on Saturday, February 18th organised by JAF in collaboration with religious and professional groups to honour the memory of those killed by the murderer-police during the struggle for fuel price reversal.
2.    Mr. Jaiyeoba must certainly be hallucinating and criminally-minded to have irresponsibly described Dr. Dipo Fashina – Chairperson of JAF, Mrs. Ganiat Fawehinmi, Muhammed Fawehinmi and other arrested but notable activists as Miscreants!
3.    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammed Abubakar should be told that the leadership of JAF deplores the despicable conduct of the Commandant of Area F Police Station in Ikeja-Lagos - ACP Noah Adesoyin, who led the murderous gang to brutalise the peaceful procession, and the reckless statement credited to Mr. Jaiyeoba.
4.    The IGP must know that ACP Noah was so overzealous with the use of force and consumed by criminality by the crude and cocky manner he barked orders at the junior ranking police officers to “shoot them, beat them”. He was so murderous that he called some of his men who were trying to be reasonable “beasts”.
5.    Only a drunken, heavily drugged and possessed person could have behaved the uncouth way ACP Noah Adesoyin did – a conduct demeaning and unprofessional of a high ranking officer in the Nigeria Police that has ceased in the statue book as a “force”. Where then is the service with integrity inscribed on police vehicles? Is it not a shame for the Nigeria Police to violently disrupt a peaceful and unprovoked procession of unarmed Nigerians that have marched and sang solidarity songs on the streets for more than 8 kilometres from the NLC Tejuoso-Yaba to Maryland, where the ACP Noah team blocked the main road, disrupted the procession, beat the arrested with batons and gun buts and shot teargas directly into their eyes.
6.    The conduct of ACP Noah Adesoyin deserves special reprimand. For instance when he was approached and his attention was drawn to the presence and condition of Muhammed Fawehinmi in a wheel chair and the need for him to be reasonable, he became further enraged and waved an order to his team to directly shell us (Mrs. Ganiat Fawehinmi, Muhammed Fawehinmi, Baba Kogboyinbo, Muhammed’s driver and myself) with more teargas.
7.    JAF wants the IGP to call the Lagos State Police Command to order in respect to the illegal breaking and brutalisation of peaceful protest, which has become its trademark in recent time. It is unfortunate that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP) Yakubu Alkali and Mr. Jaiyeoba, the Police PRO could blatantly denied that they had no advance information about the February 18th procession they repressed. It should be recalled that JAF caused a letter written by one of his solicitors – Barrister Bamidele Aturu on February 15th to the Lagos CP, which was duly stamped received in his office.
8.    It was stated in the aforementioned letter to the Lagos CP: “kindly note that this is not an application for a permit as the Court of Appeal has already decided in the case of IGP V ANPP (2007) 18 NWLR, PT 1066 @ pg45, pg 498 – 500, paras B-B that Nigerian citizens do not need police permit to exercise their constitutional rights to organise rallies or programmes but rather a notification for your record and as you may wish to provide security for the peaceful and solemn event”.
9.    Despite that we drew the attention of ACP Noah to the above notification during his shouting orders on February 18th, he violently disrupted the peaceful procession and insulted the memory of the dead.
10. JAF therefore demands that the IGP should call the Lagos CP to order because we are resolved to organise more rallies and protests to further the struggle for the social transformation of our country. Equally, uncouth character such as ACP Noah Adesoyin should be immediately reprimanded to save Nigeria from further victims of torture and extra-judicial killings in the hands of trigger-happy police officers.
11. JAF reiterates our demand for the prosecution of DSP Segun Fabunmi, DPO Pen Cinema Police station Agege and other police officers who murdered protesters during the last struggle against callous hike in fuel price, and adequate compensation for the families of those killed.
12. JAF urges Nigerians to remain firm in the struggle to redeem the country from the class of profiteers and looters and ensure a new political and economic order that will ensure that the wealth of the country is judiciously deployed for maximum welfare and happiness of the working people, the poor and ALL.
Comrade ABIODUN AREMU
JAF Secretary

Police Disruption of Martyrs Memorial: The Muslim Congress Press Statement



The Muslim Congress (TMC)
1 Thanni Olodo Street, Off Ikorodu Road, Jibowu B/Stop, Lagos
08023462555, 08033096636
February 18, 2012

DISRUPTION OF JAF COALITION PROTEST BY POLICE

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the universe. May His peace and blessings be upon the noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), his faithful companions and dutiful followers till the end of time, amin.
The Muslim Congress (TMC) joins lovers of free speech to express her disappointment at the insensitive, unprofessional, irresponsible and dastardly manner in which the Nigeria Police disrupted a peaceful and civilised procession at Maryland, Lagos. The procession was organised by the Joint Action Front (JAF) and its allies as a prelude for the Political Memorial in honour of those killed by the armed personnel in the course of the popular struggle for reversal of fuel pump price of January 9th – 16th 2012. It was also organised to immortalise the names of dead human right activists and martyrs of democracy like Comrades Chima Ubani, Tunji Oyeleru, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Alao Aka Bashorun, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and many others.

The disrupted procession was led by patriotic individuals, responsible civil society groups and renowned faith-based groups like Dr. Oladipo Fashina (JAF Chairperson),Comrade Abiodun Aremu (JAF Secretary), Mallam Luqman AbdurRaheem (President, The Muslim Congress) , Barrister Adegbamigbe Omole, (Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association Ikeja & Lagos Branches) Mallam Qassim Badrudeen (President, MSSN Lagos/Representative of Conference of Islamic Organisations), Muhammad Fawehinmi (Son of late Gani Fawehinmi), Mrs. Ganiyat Fawehinmi (Wife of late Gani Fawehinmi), Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JDPC), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Lagos State, and many other groups.

The Congress describes the deployment of aggressive policemen to repress, brutalise and injure innocent Nigerians on peaceful procession to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos, using tear-gas as hasty, uncivilised, intolerant and undemocratic, considering the fact that the procession has been widely publicised through press conference to dispel fears, suspicions and insinuations from government and security agencies. Even journalists and pressmen from TVC, Galaxy, AIT, Silver Bird and print media were not spared. The use of tear-gas for peaceful process devoid of violence caused pandemonium, injuries, traffic jam and confusion at Maryland-Ojota area. Whosoever orders the disruption, has made a costly mistake by subverting free speech and freedom of association, a cardinal principle cherished by the international community and advanced democracies. This is another error from the Nigerian Police authority and government.

Long Live the Coalition against bad leadership and state repression, Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!

SIGNED
Luqman AbdurRaheem, MNIM, AMIMC, AMIOE
Amir, The Muslim Congress

Sunday 19 February 2012

PhotoNews: JAF's Memorial Protest for Martyrs of Jan 2012 Mass Protests

 Joint Action Front on Saturday February 18 led a protest march to mark the memorial of those killed at January 2012 Mass Action against the anti-poor fuel price hike that paralyzed the country between January 9 and 16. The protest march that took off at NLC secretariat Yaba was violently dispersed by police with tear gas and physical assault at Maryland before getting to its destination at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square Ojota where prayers and rally were planned to be held. Sixteen activists including Dipo Fashina, JAF chair were arrested and detained for hours at Police State Command Ikeja. Earlier four protesters who had got to Ojota ahead of the procession were arrested and detained at Alausa Police station Ikeja. Mohammed Fawehinmi braved his condition to engage the police on wheelchair questioning their authority to stop a peaceful protest. In response the police did not wink before unleashing on him a heavy dose of tear gas. His mother, Ganiyat, participated actively in the march and also had a fair share of  police brutality. Those arrested were released to a team of lawyers led by Femi Falana.       








Saturday 18 February 2012

Police Repress JAF's Political Memorial for the Martyrs of the Last Anti-Fuel Price Hike General Strike/Mass Protest


WE CONDEMN POLICE DISRUPTION OF POLITICAL MEMORIAL FOR THE MARTYRS OF THE ANTI-FUEL PRICE HIKE GENERAL STRIKE/MASS PROTEST
(1)   Today Saturday 18 February 2012, a combined team of mobile police and men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) armed with guns and teargas violently disrupted a peaceful procession organised by the Joint Action Front (JAF) and its partners from the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja and Lagos, Nigeria Medical Association (NBA) Lagos state, the Muslim Congress (TMC) and Justice for Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) to mark the 40 days since the brutal killing of over 20 protesters during the 6-day general strike and mass protest against fuel subsidy removal in January.
(2)   The procession started from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Secretariat and was planned to end at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square where prayers would be offered for the martyrs by religious leaders and rally would be held. Leading the procession were Dr. Dipo Fashina, comrade Abiodun Aremu, Mrs Ganiyat Fawehinmi, Mr. Muhammed Fawehinmi, leaders of the Nigeria Bar Association (Lagos State), leaders of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and leaders of pro-masses organisations.
(3)   However at Anthony area of Lagos, the procession was violently dispersed by heavily armed policemen shooting live bullets and teargas. Over 20 tear gas canisters were fired at unarmed and peaceful Nigerians who were merely out to mourn the protesters unjustly killed during the anti-fuel subsidy removal protest.
(4)   Most particularly worrisome was the brutality meted out to JAF leaders. A most disgusting scene was enacted as Muhammed Fawehinmi (son of late Gani Fawehinmi) was tear-gassed by police on his wheelchair without regard for his condition. Motorists and passersby watched in horror as a defenceless Muhammed Fawehinmi seated on his wheelchair was engulfed in a pall of toxic teargas smoke deliberately shot at him by the Police.
(5)   Also about 20 leaders and members of the Joint Action Front (JAF) were arrested at gun point and bundled into a police van before being taken away. They are Dr. Dipo Fashina (JAF Chairman), Mrs Ganiyat Fawehinmi, Tunde Agunbiade, Kazeem Akinrinade, Ayodele Akele, Omotehinse Alex, Abdul-Hakeem Keshinro, Kunle Oladejo, Prophet Moses Adeola, Akin Adedeji, Agbodemu Muscu, Ismail Olawale, Sola Olatunde and Popoola Ajayi (all members of JAF). Iyatse Joshua, a journalist with Cityfm was also arrested. Earlier, some of the protesters that had gathered at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square ahead of the procession were also arrested. However, all those arrested have now been released from the state command and Alausa police station where they were held for hours.
(6)   JAF condemns the unwarranted violent disruption of the memorial/procession as well as the arrest of JAF leaders and members. We demand a public apology from the police authorities and the federal government. We also demand the immediate removal of ACP Noah Adesoyin, Area F commandant of the Nigerian Police who led the attack and in a most brutal manner ordered his men to spray teargas into the eyes of arrested JAF members and also get their clothes torn.
(7)   JAF will like to put it on record that this unwarranted attack by police and deployment of armed battalions to crush peaceful protests is a dangerous omen for our nascent democracy and points to the direction of the rise of incipient military-police dictatorship. It is an attempt to stifle the spirit of solidarity and uprising of the working people, youth and poor of Nigeria against anti-poor policies of the ruling capitalist regime.
(8)   This particular attack on a peaceful procession organised to mourn martyrs who were unjustly killed by policemen who are currently being shielded from facing trial for wilful murder is particularly disturbing and is reminiscent of the blood-shedding era of military dictatorship in Nigeria. It shows in action a tyrannical ruling elite completely unrepentant and prepared to continue to use maximum force to repress those fighting against its neo-liberal agenda to enslave the people of Nigeria.
(9)   We call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and all pro-people organisations not to watch indifferently as the corrupt capitalist ruling government of President Jonathan drags Nigeria into the morass of military dictatorship and jackboot despotism.
(10)                       JAF again restates its demand for the immediate prosecution of members of the police who killed Abiodun Ademola in Ogba Lagos, Mustapha Muyideen in Ilorin Kwara State and over 20 others killed across the country in January, and adequate compensation for their families.
(11)                       JAF restates its demand for the reversal of fuel price to N65 and the nationalisation of the oil sector under the democratic control and management of the working people.
(12)                       The recent revelation by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that despite economic growth, the number of Nigerians living below 2 dollars a day has increased to 100 million in 2010 again confirms the urgent necessity for the formation of a political party of the working people that can fight to take political power from the capitalist ruling elite who are hell bent on sustaining, at the point of the bayonet, the current income inequality and mass poverty amidst inestimable oil wealth.
(13)                       JAF believes the uprising of millions of Nigerians across the country in January against fuel price increase and other anti-poor policies is not dead and cannot be crushed in the deadly fumes of tear gas and bullets no matter how much the government tries. Rather, the January uprising is merely the dress rehearsal for many big battles ahead.
(14)                       Just like in Egypt, Tunisia and across the world, the people will rise again and again until the last vestiges of the criminal capitalist ruling elite represented by President Jonathan’s anti-poor government is chased from power and a new just, egalitarian economic and social order is installed in place of the unjust and pro-rich capitalist status quo.
(15)                       To this end, JAF remains undaunted in its mission to continue to mobilise Nigerians in mass struggle to defeat all anti-poor policies. Instead of backing off in the face of civilian despotism, JAF will double its work in the weeks and months ahead to build a strong revolutionary movement to fight for system change and enthrone a workers and poor people’s government committed to using Nigeria’s resources in the interest of the masses. 


COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU
JAF Secretary

Wednesday 15 February 2012

JAF Holds Press Conference on Feb 18 Political Memorial


WE SALUTE NIGERIANS FOR THEIR PATRIOTIC EFFORTS FOR A JUST SOCIETY
SYSTEM CHANGE REMAINS OUR GOAL
Text of the Press Conference by Joint Action Front (JAF) in collaboration with the Religious Groups, Nigeria Medical Association Lagos State and the Nigeria Bar Association Ikeja & Lagos Branches held at CCG, Lagos, Tuesday, February 14th 2012
                                                                               
Dear media compatriots, we called this media briefing to address three main issues:
1.    Feedback to Nigerians on the last protest against hike in fuel price;
2.    Make a public declaration of the POLITICAL MEMORIAL scheduled for February 18th 2012; and
3.    Reiterate the commitment of JAF to the struggle for SYSTEM CHANGE
1.    THE STRIKE/MASS ACTION AGAINST HIKE IN FUEL PRICE
1.1         We must salute Nigerians for the unprecedented massive turnout and patriotic show of commitment to redeem our country from looters and profiteers from January 9th – 16th 2012 against the wicked imposition of the pump price of petrol at N141 on January 1st 2012, in which the Federal Government, in the face of mass resistance, resorted to the use of force to unleash violence and repress the people, and thereby unilaterally imposed another pump price of N97 since January 16th. We equally salute the media and other collaborating organisations whose effective mobilisation and solidarity ensured the little gains the protest achieved. We urge all Nigerians to understand that their resistance demonstrated that the fate of Nigeria depends not on the exploiters but on the suffering masses.
1.2         Nigerians must recall that despite the militarisation of protest venues and centres across the country from the midnight of January 16th, you demonstrated your confidence in JAF by joining forces with us on the January 16th MASS ACTION to continue the struggle for the reversal of petrol price to N65 until the JAF led peaceful street protest from NLC Yaba through Ikorodu road was violently repressed by the combined team of military and police at Onipanu-Palmgrove axis on Ikorodu road, Lagos.
1.3         We must acknowledge that though our goal of price reversal to N65 was not attained, it was the resolve by Nigerians that compelled an intransigent Federal Government that said there was no going back from its N141 unpopular stance to retreat into the unacceptable N97. This confirms the correctness of the JAF slogan during the MASS ACTION that: “Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win”. It is clear that without the struggle of January 9th – 16th, the pump price of petrol would have remained N141; and the National Assembly wouldn’t have come up with the recently concluded Fuel Subsidy Public Hearing, which further exposed the deep rot in the unjust system, and attested to the JAF declaration that “fuel subsidy is fraud”.
1.4         JAF remains firm to continue the struggle for reversal not only to N65 but to mobilise Nigerians to defeat the policies of privatisation and deregulation which will not end the comatose state of refineries and which will allow Government’s to abdicate its responsibility for providing public goods. The result is that our country will continue to be dependent on fuel importation to the advantage of a few super rich looters, profiteers and marketers. As long as the policy of deregulation remains in force, prices of fuel, electricity and other services are bound to be out of reach of the majority of Nigerians and untold hardships will continue; hence the resolve by JAF to urge Nigerians to struggle to REJECT and DEFEAT all bad and anti-poor policies at all times.
 2.    THE POLITICAL MEMORIAL
2.1         JAF has concluded plans to organise a POLITICAL MEMORIAL in honour of those killed and injured by the armed personnel in the course of the popular struggle of January 9th – 16th 2012 for the reversal of the fuel price hike.
2.2         JAF is doing this in collaboration with religious groups and professional groups, in particular, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Lagos State, and Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja and Lagos Branches that joined forces with us throughout the struggle and have remained worthy partners of JAF.
2.3         We must emphasise that an important element of the POLITICAL MEMORIAL is the need for a PRAYER SESSSION to be conducted as full service by Muslims, Christians and other faith-based groups. JAF notes that one of the gains of the last struggle was the active participation of religious groups across the country, in particular, the novelty which Christian and Muslim groups introduced in some major centres such as Kano, Lagos and Ibadan, with use of the prayer sessions to demonstrate the role of religion as a unifying element towards national cohesion, social justice and human centred development.
2.4         Thus, the planned POLITICAL MEMORIAL which holds on February 18th being the 40th Day is aimed at:
·         Encouraging religious groups and leaders to offer special prayer session for the martyrs and victims of the Struggle of January 9th – 16th 2012 and the living; and the need for Nigerians to see religion not as a divisive factor, but one that should unite all (irrespective of religious belief, ethnicity and sex) as a community of human beings desiring maximum welfare and happiness in our society.
·         Reiterate the martyr status of our heroes Comrades Chima Ubani and Tunji Oyeleru (both died on September 21st 2005 in a motor accident on their return from the Maiduguri rally against hike in fuel prices, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Alao Aka Bashorun, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and others.
·         Express the appreciation and solidarity of JAF to Nigerians through peaceful procession on the streets with leaflets and the need for Nigerians to continue the struggle for a society in which the wealth of the country is judiciously applied to benefit the majority working population (formal and informal sectors) and the poor, as opposed to the present looting of the people’s wealth and private takeover of national wealth in the midst of joblessness, illiteracy, disease, millions of unemployed, uneducated and idle youth, insecurity of life and property, collapse of infrastructures, unaffordable cost of education, health and shelter, poverty and untold hardships, etc.
The POLITICAL MEMORIAL is scheduled to hold as follows:
Date: Saturday, February 18th 2012
Time: 8am – 2pm (8am: start of street procession) & (12 noon: start of the prayer session/rallies)
Venues: Nigeria Labour Congress, Yaba (starting point through Ikorodu Road) to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square, Ojota (Prayer/Mass Rally point)
3.    WHAT IS SYSTEM CHANGE AND WHY STRUGGLE MUST CONTINUE?
Nigeria is rich. The wealth belongs to the people. Most Nigerians are hungry, have no jobs, no education, no healthcare, no potable water, no electricity supply and no affordable transportation. Most cannot feed their families or educate their children. Those who are lucky to have jobs are not much different. They also cannot afford a decent living for their families. On the other hand, there is a very tiny group of Nigerians who have cornered the wealth that belong to the working people and the poor, who are in the majority. They loot the treasury and use their stolen wealth to sustain themselves in power through their political parties. They use their power to get richer and richer when the poor get poorer and poorer. This is the system of exploitation and oppression. It is the system that brings out the army and the police to kill poor people when they protest against oppression and exploitation. We want to change that system and replace it with a system where the working people and the millions of people who are sufferings under the system of exploitation will win power and ensure that the wealth of Nigeria is used to ensure a good life for the majority of the people who are now exploited and oppressed. This is what we mean by system change.
System change is not replacing one exploiter’s government by another exploiter’s government. It is replacing an exploiter’s government by a people’s government to reorganise Nigeria and put an end to oppression and exploitation. This is what JAF stands for. The people’s government can only be brought about by a political party of the working people and the poor that will be committed to ending the policies of privatisation and deregulation and looting and exploitation by the class of exploiters and looters and ensure that the wealth of our country is judiciously used to benefit ALL.
FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!
Dr. Oladipo Fashina                                       Comrade Abiodun Aremu
JAF Chairperson                                             JAF Secretary
Imam Sherideen Ibrahim, President, The Muslim Congress (TMC)                     
Revd Father Emmanuel Fadele, Director, Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JDPC)
Dr. E.O. Temiye, Chairperson, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Lagos State
Barrister  Adegbamigbe Omole, Chairperson, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja & Lagos Branches