Chinua Achebe and others back NLC on subsidy issue

Nigerian literary
writers, led by
Professor Chinua
Achebe, Sunday,
reacted to the
ongoing face-off
between the
Federal
Government and
the organised
labour which
culminated in
calling a
nationwide general
strike, today, by
the labour saying
they “stand with
the Nigerian people
who are protesting
the removal of oil
subsidy which has
placed an
unbearable
economic weight
on their lives.”
In a statement
issued Sunday,
signed by
Professor Achebe
and 37 other
Nigerian writers
entitled Statement
of Solidarity with
the Nigerian
People, the writers,
however,
applauded
President Jonathan
in some of his
policies such as the
declaration of state
of emergency in
some local
government areas
in four states but
insisted that
“President
Jonathan’s decision
to remove fuel
subsidies in the
country at this
time was ill-
advised.”
The writers in their
statement said:
“We are troubled
by the turn of
events in Nigeria,
and hereby call on
President Goodluck
Jonathan and the
rest of the
country’s political
leadership to take
immediate steps to
tackle the state of
lawlessness in
certain parts of the
nation and address
the trepidation and
rage that has
reached dangerous
levels within the
Nigerian populace.
“Nigeria is
witnessing a new
escalation of
sectarian violence,
culminating in
explosions that
have killed or
seriously wounded
scores of people at
churches and
other centres of
worship and local
businesses.
“As a people who
lost two million
citizens in a Civil
War, Nigerians
must bring an
urgent sense of
history to the
gloomy events.
The country’s
leadership should
not view the
incessant attacks
as mere
temporary
misfortune with
which the citizenry
must learn to live;
they are
precursors to
events that could
destabilise the
entire country.