Indications are rife that
the Federal Government
is not happy with the
Lagos State
government on the
open ended opportunity
being enjoyed by
protesters in his state
against the removal of
fuel subsidy, and had
hence queried the
governor on the
growing confidence of
the protesters.
The government
handed over the query
to the Lagos State
governor, Mr Babatunde
Raji Fashola, during a
closed door meeting it
had with organised
labour which had in
attendance some select
governors, including
Fashola.
Lagos has been offering
a great source of
inspiration to anti-
subsidy protesters
from across the
federation, owing to
the huge crowd it
exhibits on daily basis
at the Gani Fawehinmi
Freedom Square at
Ojota, Lagos where anti
subsidy protest is being
held daily since Monday.
The high caliber of
eminent Nigerians, who
have been attending
the rally in Lagos
buoyed by the presence
of Nollywood actors and
actresses, big time
Lagos-based musicians,
religious leaders,
professionals and
committed artisans,
had made the protests
in Lagos tick, causing
some shock waves in
government circles.
Some presidency
officials in a chat with
Saturday Tribune
disclosed that the need
by the government to
have words with
Fashola on the
dimension of protests
in Lagos necessitated
his enlistment in the
select committee of
state governors who
had dialogue with the
organised labour.
Officials of the
government at the
special meeting with
the Labour union leaders
had reportedly
expressed dismay at
the dimension of the
anti-fuel subsidy
protests in Lagos and
hence berated the
governor for his inability
to temper the tension
by refusing members of
the Save Nigeria Group
(SNG) led by Pastor
Tunde Bakare the free
leverage it has been
having all along.
Insiders at the meeting
told Saturday Tribune
that a well prepared
Fashola had harangued
the government
officials on the manner
of handling protests of
a huge magnitude,
disclosing to them that
his government was all
along vigilant about
every movement of the
protesters in Lagos and
had devised the means
of making them act
peacefully.
The Lagos governor,
according to reports,
was vehement in
declaring that
democracy forbids any
government to clamp
down on protesters, a
reason the Lagos State
government resolved to
manage the protests
by ensuring security of
lives and property, while
also discouraging acts
of arson and vandalism
by protesters.
Fashola reportedly told
the officials of
government that having
provided security cover
for protesters and
other logistics including
ambulances, fire
fighting equipment and
a constant dialogue
with the arrow heads,
no one should expect
the Lagos protests to
degenerate into chaos.
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