NIGERIA NATIONWIDE STRIKE SITREP #4: OCTOBER 14

UNCLAS LAGOS 002107 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV EPET KDEM ECON NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA NATIONWIDE STRIKE SITREP #4: OCTOBER 14 REF: A. A. LAGOS 2072 ¶B. B. ABUJA 1727 ¶C. C. LAGOS 2096 ¶1. (U) Summary. The nationwide strike continued for its fourth day. The joint labor-civil society coalition will meet in Abuja this afternoon and is expected to suspend the strike for two weeks as planned. Oil production remains unaffected. Around the country, many banks, offices, and schools remained closed, though movement and commercial activity increased from yesterday. There have been no reported security incidents involving American citizens. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday declined the GON motion for injunction relief to stop the four-day strike. ¶3. (U) The joint labor-civil society coalition will meet in Abuja this afternoon to review the four-day strike. Coalition leaders are expected to formally suspend the strike for two weeks, in keeping with the resolution passed last week by the National Executive Council of the National Labor Congress (NLC). The coalition also will deliberate on strategies for the next phase of the strike, which would begin October 29 should the GON and the coalition fail to reach an agreement. ¶4. (U) Also, NLC President Adams Oshiomhole is expected to announce his decision on whether to continue participation in the standing committee established by the GON to identify measures to ease the hardship caused by the fuel price hike. Labor has previously criticized the committee as a tactic by the GON to finesse the public into seeing the price hike as a fait accompli. Publicly, Labor has stuck to the position that it would only be satisfied with a return to the former price. If Labor withdraws from the committee, both sides will have to identify another venue where GON-Labor negotiations can take place. ¶5. (U) Oil sector contacts continue to report no effect on production. Reports from around the Country -------------- ¶6. (U) LAGOS: Some fuel stations opened in Lagos today, and queues quickly formed at the pumps. Government offices, schools, and banks remained closed. The Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Lagos office of the Central Bank were open. In Oshogbo, members of the commercial drivers union reportedly seized the vehicles of union members not observing the strike. ¶7. (U) ONITSHA: Movement of people and traffic has increased. Like yesterday, some banks are open. Most schools remained closed. ¶8. (U) CALABAR: The governor's office operated on skeletal staff; other government offices remained closed. ¶9. (U) PORT HARCOURT: Banks remained closed, as did most fuel stations. The city is generally quiet. Pedestrian and vehicular movement is still less than normal, but people are moving freely. ¶10. (U) DELTA STATE: The Delta State Council of the NLC reportedly decided to extend the strike to include Friday. The council said it will extend the strike to show solidarity with NLC President Oshiomhole, who was on his way to Asaba, the capital of Delta State, when he was temporarily detained last Saturday. BROWNE