Home > Sociology, Social Work > Vol 1 No 1 June 2013 Abstract 2
The Ideas and Vision of the 2012 Street Protest in Nigeria
James Bassey Ejue, Mathew Okeyim
Journal of Sociology and Social Work, 1(1), pp. 09-21.

Abstract
January 13, 2012, protesters took to the streets to protest against fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria. Why does government believe subsidizing consumption of oil is a drain on public finance that will prove unsustainable in the long run? The key question this paper shall examine is on the ideas and vision behind the 2012 Nigerian street protest against fuel subsidy removal. The main proposition in this paper is that government must fight against corruption that has become part of our culture instead of removing fuel subsidy. The objectives of the paper include to investigate: (a) why government introduced the plan to remove fuel subsidy without any regard to how it will affect common Nigerians; (b) high cost of living in Nigeria manifested in high transport cost, food, medicine, rent and low infrastructural services; (c) the reasons for the protest, government’s response, implications and gains of the protest; and (d) the rise in the gap between the rich and poor and the exploitation by government against the poor. The theoretical framework for this paper shall be drawn from the Marxist-based social conflict theory. Method of data collection is through qualitative and unstructured interview with carefully framed questions administered on officials of the Nigerian organised Labour, civil society and government officials as gleaned from the media. The paper concludes that Nigeria is corrupt and a workers’ revolution is on the way to break the political and economic domination of the ruling class with the aim of organizing society along lines of ownership and democratic control.

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Ejue Bassey James., & Okeyim, Mathew. (2013). The Ideas and Vision of the 2012 Street Protest in Nigeria. Journal of Sociology and Social Work, 1(1), pp. 09-21.

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NewsPapers and Magazines

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Daily Sun, June 14th,2012, page 20.Pointblank News, December 4th, 2012, page 1: Titled “I understand Nigerians

Mistrust for Govt – Jonathan…says all campaign promises to be fulfilled.” Retrieved at : www.pointblank news.com, Dec 4th, 2012.

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James Bassey Ejue is an Associate Professor of Guidance and Counselling in Cross River State College of Education, Akamkpa in Nigeria. His career spans English, Guidance and Counselling, and Psychology. He has an M.Ed and Ph.D in Guidance and Counselling which he obtained from the University of Calabar, Nigeria in 2003 and a Bachelor’s degree in English. He has been training teachers of English as well as School Counsellors. Presently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of Akamkpa Journal of Education.

Dr. Ejue’s research interest is predominately in occupational psychology and special needs education. His present interest lies in collaborations that will reveal more on how sociological variables drive people to do what they do and how such variables also influence medical conditions. He has published extensively on workplace wellness and trends in special needs education. Recent sponsored researches includes the TETfund sponsorshp for research on areas of perceived difficulty in teaching Mathematics and English Language at the Basic Education level. He was also a member of the team that researched on pre-service and in-service training needs of Early Childhood Development Care-givers in Nigeria and he is an associate Editor of Annals of Modern Education.

Mathew Okeyim
University of Alicante
Department of Sociology 11.
San Vicente del RASPEIG. Espana.