THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012
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NEWS THE BIG PROTEST (DAY ONE) NEW YEAR MESSAGES
•LAGOS: LAGOS: Protesters at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota
•ABUJA: Protesters ...yesterday
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•RIVERS: Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Chika Onuegbu, addressing protesters at the Isaac Boro Park on Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway...yesterday
Achebe, 34 writers back
GROUP of 35 Nigerian writers including Prof Chinua Achebe, mainly in the Diaspora, have urged President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce the petrol price and address insecurity in the land. They spoke through a statement titled: “Statement of solidarity with the Nigerian people.” The statement reads: “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 centers 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. “We applaud President Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in certain local government areas in four states. However, we have seen little indication that the country’s se-
THE WRITERS •Chinua Achebe •Okey Ndibe •Nduka Otiono •Helon Habila •Akin Adesokan •Pius Adesanmi •Tess Onwueme •Obiora Udechukwu •Yinka Tella •Richard Ali •Chiji Akoma •Paul Ugor •Tolu Ogunlesi •Samantha Iwowo •Idowu Ohioze •Offiong Bassey •Chido Onumah •Bunmi Aborisade •Omolade Adunbi
•Mahmud Obeamata •Mahmud Aminu •Nasr Kura •Gimba Kakanda •Obioma Nnaemeka •Sonala Olumhense •Ikhide Ikheola •Isidore Okpewho •E.C. Osondu •Ogaga Ifowodo •Maik Nwosu •Herbert Ekwe Ekwe •Chimalum Nwankwo •Uzor Maxim Uzoatu •Ebenezer Obadare •Ahmed Maiwada •Madina Shehu •Hussein Abdu •Auwal Musa Rafsanjani
curity and law enforcement agents are up to the task of protecting the lives and property of citizens in all parts of Nigeria. “Clearly, the sophistication and deadly impact of the terrorist attacks suggest an agenda to create widespread fear and, possibly, to foment anarchy or war. President Jonathan has no greater duty than to ensure that Nigerians are safe wherever they live or visit within the country.
•LAGOS LAGOS: Activist lawyer Femi Falana (middle) addressing the rally at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota...yesterday. With him LAGOS are Biodun Sowunmi (left), Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola, Pastor Bakare (third right) and Yinka Odumakin (right)
“He should demonstrate his recognition of that solemn duty, in our view, by doing the following: • Outline both short and long term plans to comprehensively address the scourge of terror, •Appoint competent and committed officials to head the various security agencies, and •Serve as an agent to heal the many divisions plaguing Nigeria, and per-
•OYO:: Labour leaders protesting on Bere/Mopo Road, Ibadan
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