Nigerian oil union threaten shutdown "If there is any disruption to oil production it would be a serious escalation and the government would be likely to use legal or enforcement means to stop it," said Kayode Akindele, partner at Lagos-based investment firm 46 Parallels. Container shipping group Maersk Line said it was unable to bring its vessels carrying consumer goods and foodstuffs into Nigeria's ports as a fourth day of nationwide strikes brought terminals to a standstill. President Goodluck Jonathan was reportedly due to meet the unions on Thursday to discuss the impasse. Protests were ongoing in cities everywhere from the commercial centre Lagos in the south to the remote and restive city of Maiduguri in the far northeast. In Lagos, tens of thousands gathered in Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, where women selling drinks and Afrobeat music pumping out of loud speakers gave the protest a carnival atmosphere. Many chanted anti-government slogans. A group of demonstrators beat drums and slapped an effigy of Mr Jonathan across the face with leafy branches. Our leaders have betrayed us too many times and this is the last time. They only care about themselves, not the common people," said Olu Shittu. We're staying here until they put the subsidy back. President Jonathan has shown no sign of backing down on his government's decision to scrap a subsidy economists say was wasteful and corrupt. Publicly unions have said they will only stop strikes if the government returns petrol prices to the pre-subsidy removal rate and the government has said it will not reverse its decision to scrap subsidies from Jan. 1. President Jonathan is now facing two major security headaches - opposition to the fuel price spike and almost daily attacks by Boko Haram, an Islamist group in the north, which has carried out a spate of attacks since Christmas on Christians.