Fuel price hike - Nigeria's two umbrella workers' unions are due to meet Wednesday to deliberate on the recent fuel price hike and possibly set a date for the commencement of what is being called the 'mother of all strikes', aimed at forcing the government to reverse the increase. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have rejected the price increase and asked Nigerians to brace up for a long-drawn battle with the government.

“I am on my way to Lagos from Port Harcourt now for the TUC meeting. We need to meet to strategize on how to organise the strike but it will not happen this week. Certainly next week, it will happen,” the private Guardian newspaper Wednesday quoted TUC President Peter Esele as saying.

One person was killed in the central town of Ilorin on Tuesday as residents protested against the withdrawal of subsidy that has taken the price of petrol from 65 naira (0.4 cents) per litre to at least 141 naira (0.90 cents).

It was not clear whether the protester was shot by the police, as organizers of the demonstration said, or killed by the protesters for allegedly breaking ranks with them, as the police claimed.

The Kwara state government, of which Ilorin is the capital, has ordered an investigation into the killing.

Protests were also held in the economic capital city of Lagos, the South-west city of Ibadan and the oil-producing Niger Delta region, among others, on Tuesday.

Pana 04/01/2012