Jonathan Summons Emergency FEC Meeting as Protests Spread

This Day

4 January 2011

Jonathan Summons Emergency FEC Meeting as Protests Spread

As protests and demonstrations broke out in many states yesterday over the deregulation of the pricing of petrol – leading to the death of a protester in Ilorin, Kwara State – President Goodluck Jonathan has called an emergency session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The agenda for today’s meeting, THISDAY learnt, would be on two issues – deregulation and the declaration of state of emergency in 15 local government areas in four states.

FEC had adjourned last month and was supposed to reconvene on January 11 but the state of the nation prompted the shortened break, THISDAY learnt last night.

The nationwide protests, which began Monday in a few cities across the country, yesterday spread to more locations.

In the meantime, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) - the two biggest labour unions in the country - announced yesterday that their members would go on strike from Wednesday next week to press home a reversal of the deregulation policy.

The young man killed in Ilorin was said to have been protesting atop a motor bike when unknown persons allegedly shot him.