Thousands march against fuel price rises in northern Nigeria
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-20 19:45

Thousands marched in Nigeria's main northern city against steep fuel price increases, chanting and waving anti-government banners as truckloads of unarmed policemen looked on, the Associated Press reported.

The rally was the latest in a series of labor union-led protests throughout Nigeria, the world's eighth largest oil exporter. The demonstrations were to culminate at the end of the end of the month with a rally in the capital, Abuja.

In an unusual move, the black-uniformed policemen assigned to Tuesday's protest march were ordered not to carry their usual assault rifles.

"This is a peaceful demonstration," said Kano police spokesman Baba Mohammed.

The government ordered price increases last month of up to 40 percent on fuels such as gas and diesel to try to bring the subsidized prices closer in line with the world market.

The price increases are making life harder for Nigerians, 70 percent of whom live on less than a dollar a day. Nigeria's poor will be badly hit by higher prices for kerosene, used for cooking, and inflation resulting from increased transport costs.

Labor unions say it is unfair for citizens to pay more for fuel in an oil-rich nation. Nigeria, though, has relied on massive fuel imports to meet domestic demand while state-owned refineries hit by corruption under previous governments have been producing well under capacity.

Despite strong opposition, President Olesegun Obasanjo is pushing ahead with an economic reform policy that has meant successive price hikes at the pump. Periodic increases have nearly tripled fuel prices during the six years of Obasanjo's government.

"If our leaders are deaf, they can now see that we have said 'No,"' said Sule Kano, leader of Nigeria's union for university lecturers.

The protesters, some riding on bicycles alongside the marchers, wore green leaves on their heads _ a sign of protest.

The rally was due to end in front of the offices of Kano state Gov. Ibrahim Shekarau, where demonstrators planned to deliver a petition against the fuel price rises.

Unions have called four crippling general strikes since 1999. The actions shut down major cities and sometimes erupted in violence. None of them affected the OPEC member nation's oil output.

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