Ijaw kinsmen of President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday seized the East-West highway (Warri- Port Harcourt Road) as the public outcry against Sunday’s removal of subsidy on the Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, by the Federal Government deepened nationwide.
Suspected Ijaw militants besieged the highway as early as 6am, halting the free flow of traffic on the strategic road, which serves as the gateway to the heart of the South-South and some parts of the South- East. The protesters in their placards demanded the immediate reversal of the pump price of petrol to N65 per litre, vowing to embark on steady actions to compel government to accede to their request.
The placard-carrying protesters said the removal of subsidy would worsen the living conditions of the people of the Niger Delta and warned Jonathan against recalcitrant posture on the matter. The protests action commenced from Bomadi, an Ijaw community and the headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. The protesters barricaded the highway at Bomadi junction, forcing traffic to spread many kilometers on either side the road.
The traffic buildup spread as far as Uweru in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. There was no movement on the highway for many hours. Thousands of commuters were stranded while the action lasted. Siren-blaring convoys of some important personalities were caught up in the gridlock. A commuter who spoke to our correspondent said it was a terrible day. He said the experience was Òterrible and worrisome. One of the protesters, who identified himself as Bamigho Ebikabowei, said Jonathan disappointed his kinsmen by embarking on anti-people policies and programs.
President Jonathan shows that he is not sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of the common Nigerians, especially his long suffering people in the Niger Delta by imposing fuel subsidy on Nigerians. We are going to force him (Jonathan) to reverse the unpopular decision and we are going to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, including the organized labor, civil society and rights groups to enable the President to see reasons with all right thinking Nigerians. We are not going to steadily pursue various actions to reverse this unsavory policy which will further impoverish his (Jonathan) people in the Nigeria.
This government has not done anything to improve our lots and subsidy removal can only worsen our fate in the Niger Delta, added a protester, who did not want his name mentioned. The Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, later deployed troops in the scene. The troops, who arrived the scene in three vans, cleared the barricades to ease traffic. Most petrol stations in Edo State witnessed an anticipated absence of customers yesterday after the initial long queues that greeted the new price regime on New Year day.
Investigation by National Mirror showed that the initial response by customers had resulted to panic buying in Benin, the capital city. While pump price at most of the filing stations ranged between N140 and N150, it was constant at N138 at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, mega stations scattered across the state.