The National Assembly has expressed displeasure over the Federal Government's refusal to accept its advice to roll back fuel prices. TheChairman of the ad-hoc committee Nze Chidi Duru, while speaking to media, said that the leadership of the House was already meeting over the issue. Duru said that the committee strongly felt that the president's stand was undemocratic since the decision of the National Assembly is almost equal to a law. The ad-hoc committee is set up by the House to determine appropriate pricing of petroleum products. The leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also had a meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Abuja to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, there were reports of arrests of some labour leaders from Awka, the Anambra State capital and from Kaduna. Yesterday a team of policemen also raided the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Nigerian media reported that the strike was partial in Abuja. Fuel stations operated normally under heavy security, commercial vehicles were seen plying on the roads. However all the first generation banks were closed for business, but some of the new generation banks operated partially. Civil servants went about their normal business and schools remained open. The strike was more successful in Anambra with civil servants staying away from offices and markets shut, in both Awka and Onitsha.
Nigerian Parliament criticises government refusal to cut fuel prices