Nigerian Unions Call for Fuel Price Strike, Protests

 　　Nigeria's main unions have called for nationwide strikes and demonstrations¹ beginning next Monday, unless the government restores a popular consumer fuel subsidy².

　　The Nigeria Labor³ Congress and Trade Union Congress made the announcement Wednesday after holding talks in the capital, Abuja.

　　In a joint⁴ statement, the unions warned that general strikes, mass rallies and street protests will begin on January 9. The unions said the actions will be peaceful and will target oil production sites, air and sea ports, banks, and markets.

　　The organizations urged Nigerians to stockpile supplies for basic needs, including food and water.

　　Fuel prices doubled to about 88 centers a liter this week, after the government eliminated the subsidy.

　　The soaring fuel prices sparked protests through the oil-rich country on Tuesday, with demonstrators blocking access to gas stations and police firing tear gas to break up the crowds.

　　The Nigeria Labor Congress has claimed police fatally shot one protester in Kwara state.  Police have denied that charge.

　　The fuel subsidy was one of the few benefits that ordinary Nigerians received from the nation's oil wealth. Most live on less than $2 a day.

　　Government leaders say money from the $7.5 billion program will now be spent on infrastructure⁵ and social programs.

　　Nigeria is Africa's biggest exporter of oil. But it must import refined fuel because the country's refineries⁶ lack the infrastructure to process the oil.

　　Human Rights Watch has accused the country's governing elite⁷ of squandering⁸ and siphoning much of the nation's oil wealth, leaving little for health services and education.

　　Militants⁹ in the oil-rich south attacked the oil industry and government for years, demanding that more oil wealth be shared with poor communities.

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 squandering   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• You're faced with ending it all, of squandering what was given. 把到手的东西就这样随随便便弄掉。 来自辞典例句
• I see all this potential And I see squandering. 你们的潜力都被浪费了。 来自互联网

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。