US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1428

UNCLAS LAGOS 001428 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOE FOR DAS JBRODMAN AND CGAYE 
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS AND SRENANDER 
DOC FOR KBURRESS 
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION MARAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ 
STATE PASS EX-IM FOR JRICHTER AND KVRANICH 
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND JEDWARDS 
STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT AND BTERNET 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, EPET, KDEM, PGOV, NI 
SUBJECT: LAGOS FUEL PRICE PROTEST WENDS PEACEFULLY THROUGH 
CITY 
 
REF: A) LAGOS 1416 B) LAGOS 1398 C) LAGOS 1397 
 
1.  The September 14 protest rally and march (against fuel 
price increases) in Lagos concluded peacefully.  Police 
estimate 30,000 to 50,000 protestors gathered at the Lagos 
State Government Complex in the city's Alausa district.  A 
protest letter was presented around 1:30 p.m. Protestors 
remained at the scene until nearly 4:00p.m. 
 
2.  Police recorded only one incident of attempted violence, 
when several youths attempted to carjack a vehicle in the 
procession.  Mobile police, stationed at regular intervals 
along the protest route, chased the culprits away without 
having to use their weapons.  For the rest of the time, 
unarmed police escorts accompanied the protestors. 
Newspapers reported two labor activists from the United 
Action for Democracy (UAD) were arrested the day before the 
rallies for carrying incendiary protest leaflets.  They are 
still in custody. 
 
3.  One rally participant reported surprise that protestors 
moved so quickly and easily through the city.  He noted past 
labor actions had been marred by opportunistic hoodlums who 
set street fires in the early morning, then proceeded to loot 
and commit other crimes by mid-afternoon. 
 
4.  The next rally is planned for Friday, September 16 in 
Benin City, Edo State, where violent protests against the 
fuel price increase have already occurred.  Benin has also 
been troubled by political violence due to internecine 
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rivalries.  Keeping the peace 
in Benin City may be more of a challenge than it turned out 
to be in Lagos.  Nevertheless, the Nigerian Labor Congress 
(NLC) officials contend that they had enough safeguards in 
place to prevent any problems in Lagos, and expect the Benin 
City rally to conclude similarly. 
 
5.  Labor leaders were happy with the turn-out.  Both 
participants and state government officials felt cooperation 
between Lagos State government entities and labor was better 
than ever before.  (Note.  It was no surprise that the 
anti-Obasanjo Lagos State Government would accommodate this 
populist protest.  It is good electoral politices.  End 
Note.)  Some observers expect that the GON may acquiesce to a 
1 or 2 naira decrease in fuel prices by the end of the series 
of rallies, but many, including a civil servant in the Lagos 
State economics office, believe the rallies will have little 
affect on the government.  Peter Akpatasson, President of 
NUPENG, the union representing junior-level petroleum 
workers, hailed the rally as a good beginning for preparing 
negotiations with the President.  He also said it gave poor 
and struggling Nigerian workers a viable alternative to a 
strike for expressing dissatisfaction with government policy. 
 While this is true, protests like these will have little 
import on the GON.  For now, it appears that the GON has won 
the initial round of its face-off with labor over fuel price 
deregulation.  The irony is that, while Labor may have the 
present sympathy of the population, the GON's position on 
deregulation is more attuned to the country's long-term 
interests. 
BROWNE