JONATHAN'S DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY:

AN EXPRESSWAY TO ATTACKS ON DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS!

FOR DEMOCRATIC MASS WORKING PEOPLES' DEFENCE COMMITTEES

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) sees the imposition of the state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as another wrong step taken by the President Jonathan government in its so-called war against terrorism. Even if it curtails the violence that has admittedly taken over the North Eastern part of the country over the last 3 years in the short term, this is bound to be just a temporary respite. Far from a solution, this declaration of state of emergency which is another name for a brutal and indiscriminate military clampdown will most definitely, especially in the medium and long term, lead to the escalation of the conflict to an unimaginable proportion. 

This is because just like other strong arm measures taken by the government in the last 3 years, this new step fails to seek an efficient solution to the root cause of violent extremism which is only possible by resolving the crisis of poverty amidst plenty, absence of social infrastructures and the alarming wealth inequality in Nigeria which constitutes the fertile soil of alienation upon which violent extremism flourishes and is reinforced.

Besides, the consequence of a state emergency, which according to the President means deployment of more military forces, is the intensification of the on-going militarisation of the country under the guise of fighting Boko Haram terrorists. We recall that the special military squad (Joint Task Force), which is more notorious for attacks on democratic rights of the innocent working people than exchanges of fires with Boko Haram insurgents, has been in the region for the past years. We therefore hold that the emergency proclamation is nothing more than deployment of more troops and tanks to the states and further curtailment of democratic rights. It is indeed instructive that the proclamation of state of emergency came few weeks after the massacre of about 200 innocent civilians in Baga in just one day by soldiers. This shows what the state of emergency has in stock for the ordinary people of the affected areas. 

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) is completely opposed to the reactionary activities of terror groups like Boko Haram. We are indeed against any act or method of individual terrorism in the struggle against policies and conducts of the thieving ruling elites. But as we have aptly stated in our last statement on the Baga massacre, the root cause of the Boko Haram insurgency, as well as other violent crises in other parts of the country, some of which were stated by President in his speech, is the unresolved nationality question as well as the widespread discontent over issues of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and the unbridled corruption of the capitalist ruling elite in a country endowed with vast oil and mineral wealth. Brutal military and police clampdown cannot resolve this crisis, it will only escalate it. It should not be forgotten that the 2009 killing of Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf after he had been arrested and paraded before the media only served to strengthen the group. The truth of the matter is that this government, firmly rooted in defending the current capitalist system, cannot resolve the underlying economic and social causes of Nigeria's crisis while, as part and parcel of the systematic looting of the country, is incapable of maintaining democratic rights.

Though now on much bigger scale, we recall that this not the first time that a state of emergency has been declared on some parts of the North by Jonathan administration. Since December 2011, 15 local council areas cutting across 4 states including Yobe and Borno (others are Niger and Plateau) have been under intensive military invasion and occupation as a result of state of emergency but without being able to rein in the activities of Boko Haram. We hold that while this current military expedition and offensive in the northeast could temporarily tame the situation, but as examples in Mali, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, etc show it cannot effectively stamp out insurgent and terrorist activities so long as the fundamental cause of the problem is not addressed. Besides, the news reports have revealed that the crackdown in the northeast has started provoking surge in terrorist activities in other parts of the north.

It is also instructive to warn that the state of emergency, which arrogates power to the military, subjugates the civilian authorities and suppresses democratic rights in the affected states, is an open invitation, albeit inadvertently, to the military adventurers to take political power in the country. It has given the impression of the incapacity of the civil rule to tackle and overcome the security challenges in the country. 

Therefore, against its support for military offensive under the guise of state of emergency, we urge the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress to support our demand for formation of democratic mass defence committees at workplaces, communities and streets under the democratic control of the trade unions and mass organizations of poor farmers and working people as the first step in confronting the menace of Boko Haram and other terror groups. Such democratic defence committees involving the working class people, poor farmers and youths and cutting across all ethnic or religious divides will have the duty to patrol and maintain security both day and night, carry out surveillance and investigations necessary to identify terrorists or criminals and mobilize en-masse to liquidate them. 

It is only if Labour leads such an approach that it can be possible to begin to tackle the Boko Haram menace in a pro-working peoples' manner that can also prevent a nationwide descent into bloody ethnic and religious strife. The reality is that the JTF, which has been behaving as army of occupation and now that they have been further empowered with martial law to suppress democratic rights, cannot endear themselves to the ordinary people whose support is a major requirement to defeat Boko Haram. 

Having said the above, the SPN is also particularly in sympathy with rank and file soldiers, police and other working class members of the armed and security forces who are also victims of terrorist violence created as a result of the policies of the corrupt Nigeria's ruling elite. The SPN stands with rank and file soldiers and police, many of whom are poorly paid yet have bled and died in the discharge of their duties. We urge the labour movement to issue a public appeal to the rank and file troops not to turn their arms against the ordinary people under the guise of fighting Boko Haram and refuse to attack the on democratic rights of the working people. This however requires that the activities of the police and armed forces have to be subjected to democratic control of the elected representatives of the affected communities. Labour should also show interest in the welfare and condition of the police and armed forces by leading the demand for the rank and file police and other armed forces to belong to or form trade unions through which they can agitate for living wage and better conditions. 

Also imperative is for the labour movement to come up with a programme of action that recognizes the undemocratic nature of the founding of Nigeria as well as the condition of exploitation and mass poverty that a majority of the population is confronted with as the fundamental causes of the rising spate of ethno-religious violence in the country. This is important as a step towards curbing or totally stopping the menace of Boko Haram and other terror groups. Such a programme will have to include the trade union movement building nationwide mass campaigns and actions involving strikes and mass protests that can unite working masses and poor youth across the country to struggle against such issues as unemployment, homelessness, education commercialisation, non-payment of a living wage and the capitalist system that breeds inequality and chaos.

The escalation of ethno-religious crisis in the country must be a wakeup call on the labour movement and pro-working peoples' organisations to lead the campaign for the urgent convocation of independent Sovereign National Conference (SNC), not at the permission of the government, with the full democratic representation of the working class, the youths, ethnic groups etc. that would have the primary aim of debating whether or not Nigeria ought to be one and, if yes, on what terms and conditions. In essence, the much touted unity of Nigeria should be democratically negotiated and not taken for granted.

Labour must realise that the rapid deterioration of the situation is a dire warning of how Nigeria's crisis can quickly worsen the ethno-religious divisions, and the repressive measures that can be implemented by the government. Labour needs to act now and not throw away opportunities like they did most recently with the January 2012 mass protest and general strike.

Only the working masses of Nigeria can unite the country through joint struggle against the ruling elite. There can be no confidence in this government which has, like its predecessors, acted to defend the power and wealth of the elite. It has hardly "punished" the looters wrecking the country while at the same time being prepared to suppress civil rights, like banning the "Fuelling Poverty" documentary film on the January 2012 general strike. To prevent total ruin, the labour movement needs to come out fully as a social force that can lead Nigerians out of the mess and chaos created by the ruling elite by convening such an independent Sovereign National Conference (SNC) and building a mass working peoples political party that can implement the resolutions of such a conference by taking political power from the corrupt ruling elite and forming a workers and poor people's government on socialist programme. As a clear step towards the formation of such a mass party we call on workers, youths and the poor to join in building the Socialist Party of Nigeria. 

Segun Sango

Protem National Chairperson

Socialist Party of Nigeria

SPN Osun May Day 2013 Leaflet

Minimum Wage: Victory for Workers, But Not yet Uhuru!

·         For full implementation to meet rate of inflation

·         Aregbesola Govt. should pay pensions and gratuities of retirees now

·         SPN supports Demands of Osun Tertiary Institutions’ Lecturers

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) Osun State Chapter heartily expresses its solidarity with workers, especially workers in Osun State as they celebrate this year Workers’ Day. We again reiterate our support for the collective struggles of workers for better living conditions and a better society that guarantees a secured future for working people all over the world.

Minimum Wage Increase: Product of Struggle

As workers in Osun State celebrate Workers’ Day, we also welcome their latest victory on minimum wage. This victory, which has seen minimal rise in salaries for workers, should be welcome as a product of the protracted struggle of workers since 2011. The minimum wage struggle has shown what can be achieved when workers are determined to defend collectively their right to better living. The strikes, congresses and open campaigns by activists including members of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) are what forced the Aregbesola/ACN government to concede to workers’ demands. This shows the power of collective struggle. We in the SPN enjoin workers to consolidate on the gains of the struggle by rebuilding their unions on a democratic, mass-based, participatory basis. Workers must purge their unions of pro-state, corrupt leaders, who are prepared to defend the government and sell workers out for crumbs. We call on workers to also insist that regular congresses be called on issues affecting them, and they must demand regular reports on how the unions are run in form of leaflets, bulletin, etc and local congresses and meetings.

Issues Still Remain

It is worth stating that the increment being introduced is still far from a living wage, and real implementation of the minimum wage. For instance, the salaries of Osun workers, despite the increment, is still about half of their colleagues in the federal civil service are paid, and below that of some other states.  Consequently, we enjoin workers and their unions to continue to demand for improvement based on the cost of living and inflation. Even as Aregbesola government is forced to concede rise in minimum wage, workers must demand that the implementation must not lead to retrenchment of workers, increase in tax (as workers are already overtaxed), or loss of other rights and welfare incentives. This is necessary as the government, when forced to pay the new wage will look for ample opportunities to attack workers and their living conditions. This is reflected in the fact that the government deliberately waited until this year to effect wage increment so as to exclude thousands of workers who retired as at December 2012.

Workers should also realize that their wage increment would lose value if education is further commercialized, and other social services privatized. On this basis, we enjoin workers to also join other oppressed people to demand free and quality education at all levels; free healthcare at the point of use; and expansion of social infrastructures that will ensure provision of decent and secured employment for tens of thousands of youths, as against the exploitative, slave labour of OYES.

Aregbesola Govt. Should Pay Pensioners

We in the SPN call on Aregbesola government to pay the pension areas and gratuity of retired workers in the state. The workers have dedicated their adult lives for the service of the society; they have an inalienable right to a living pension that is tied to rate of inflation and cost of living. It is rather unfortunate that the Aregbesola government has not paid retirees, especially those who retired in the later part of 2012. This is condemning them to poverty, which is inhuman.

We enjoin workers and the leadership of the trade unions to take the issue of the retirees up as part of labour’s demand. If government is allowed to do whatever it likes over pensioners’ pensions, it will set a bad precedent that will affect those in service now. Already, there are reports that government has not been paying its own counterpart fund of the contributory pension to the PFA, while workers’ 7.5% contributions are being deducted. This means that many workers will be left in the cold by the time they retire, as they will not get their entitlement as early as they expect. The contributory pension itself is exploitation as government is expected to ensure living pension for workers and not deduct from workers’ wages. Therefore, we call on workers to use this occasion to demand immediately payment of pensions and gratuities of retirees, without further delay. Failure of government to do this should lead to mass protests and rallies along with retirees, and forty-eight hour warning strike.

We Support the demands of Osun Tertiary Institutions’ Lecturers

We also use this occasion to reiterate our support for the lecturers in the four state-owned tertiary institutions who are demanding among other things: reversal of the exorbitant tax regime in the state, implementation of the sixty five year retirement age policy, improved staffing of the institutions (as most departments already lack teaching staff) and full implementation of the pending salary structures. Despite the fact that these are legitimate demands, which can easily be acceded to by the government, the Aregbesola government has refused to yield. This has led to continued closure of schools to the detriment of students and workers. This has again rubbished the much-touted education reform of the government, which in the real sense has been mere grandstanding.

The government has been using all strong-arm tactics to break the lecturers’ strike. If it is successful in doing this, it will embolden the government to further attack workers. Therefore, we call on workers in Osun State, through their various unions to give solidarity to the lecturers. We call on labour leaders to organize mass actions including solidarity strike, rallies, press statements, etc. in support of the lecturers. We also enjoin the lecturers and their unions to organize joint mass actions with other workers and students, as a way of building more public support, and thus prevent the government from using false propaganda and exploiting the likely frustration of parents and students to gain cheap public support. With the solidarity actions of other workers and public support, the striking lecturers can force this anti-worker government to meet their demands.

The Need for Working Class Government

The character of the Aregbesola/ACN government in Osun State during the minimum wage struggle again reflects the anti-poor, anti-worker character of this government despite its claim to progressivism. This is clearly reflected in the failed attempt of the government to use the National Industrial Court to stop workers from gaining a little improvement in their poor wages, and its divide-and-rule tactics. Just like the federal government, other state governments, and capitalist political parties, the Aregbesola/ACN government is committed to neo-liberal policies that ensure that more money go the coffer of the already rich few, while the majority of the working and poor people are made to live on the fringes of poverty and want. This is clearly reflected in the elitist projects undertaken by the government, albeit at exorbitant costs and borrowed funds, while the basic needs of the people: free and quality education and healthcare, good wages for workers, secure and decent employment for all able-bodied citizens, etc, are left unattended to.

This underscores the need for workers to build their own political platform to contend for power with the current set of anti-poor, pro-rich parties at all levels. Working and poor people need a party that will put public resources to public needs: free and quality education and healthcare, living wages for workers, massive development of social and public infrastructures (mass public housing scheme, potable water supply, transport development, etc), provision of secure and decent employment for all citizens, etc. These programmes can be easily implemented if society’s resources and wealth are put under democratic public ownership of working people. It will also require that politicians collect average wages of civil servants. With this, public resources going to the rich few and big businesses will be liberated for pro-poor, pro-workers’ programmes. This is what the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) stands for. Consequently, we call on workers and the poor people to join us in building a strong working class political alternative that can defeat parties of looters who are holding millions of Nigerians in poverty.

Once again, Happy Workers’ Day 2013

SPN Lagos May Day 2013 Leaflet

AS WORKERS CELEBRATE MAY DAY!

WORKERS AND THE POOR MUST UNITE TO SAVE NIGERIA!!

JOIN AND BUILD THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA (SPN)

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Lagos State Chapter, solidarises with workers as we celebrate this year workers Day. The SPN is a party of Workers, Youths and the Poor. For over 100 years, May 1st has been a day of working class solidarity and agitation for improvement in their conditions.

Perhaps, more than ever, it is the time to tenaciously work towards an alternative economic and political system to capitalist policies and programs. In 1886, American workers rallied together on May 1st to demand economic and political justice, and to create an 8hour workday. It laid the basis for workers winning more concessions through struggles at workplaces, factories and industry.

Today, workers and other sections of working people face brutal social and economic attacks from the governments at all levels. In Lagos, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the ruling party despite claiming to be progressive, the daily harrowing experience of the working people in the state has shown that the party is as anti-poor and anti-worker as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other anti-poor parties. 

Lagos state is one of the states in Nigeria where the national minimum wage has not been fully paid. In spite of the propaganda of the government, the workers know the truth, though unfortunately they lack a fighting leadership. The Teachers Salary Allowance (TSA) fought and won by teachers has been surreptitiously taken back from them by the state government. It has been removed from their pay slip under the guise of new minimum wage whose purported payment is classical “Eko for Show”, the more you look the less you see. We must resist this attack on pay and condition and look for political alternative.  This is what SPN has offered.

Besides, the government workers, some sections of ordinary people have had their means of livelihood severely attacked. Okada operation has been banned on many roads while the use of tokunbo cars for taxi operation has been proscribed. Ordinary traders have had shops demolished without alternative or adequate compensation.

But while workers are robbed of their legitimate pays and other sections of the working people made to lose their means of livelihood, they are expected to pay more to educate their children and to access health care facilities. This is in addition to the fact that every household is now a municipal government with its own power generation and water provision leading to skyrocketing cost of living.

EDUCATION

Public primary and secondary schools are not only over-crowded in many of the schools, but also lack functional and adequate facilities for quality education like laboratories and libraries. A few standard private schools are unaffordable for most parents. University education in the state has been taken out of the reach of children of working class people. The fees in LASU was increased from N25,000 to between N193,750 and N348,750 by Fashola government. This is outrageously anti-poor and pro-rich. The party and government with this heinous policy does not deserve support of workers, it has to be ousted, but not to be replaced by its like and PDP or other anti-poor parties. This is why workers need a party like SPN. The party will massively invest in education at all levels with well-paid education workers exposed to regular training and re-training as well as adequate provision of facilities for quality education. The SPN will scrap these inhuman fees in LASU and in other tertiary institutions and we shall introduce free and qualitative education at all levels in Lagos.

HEALTH

In Lagos, the public hospitals are not enough, poorly staffed and scantily equipped. Even at that, they are not affordable for most Lagosians. It explains why many poor die from avoidable diseases/sickness. SPN will invest in public hospitals and build additional ones. We shall also invest in research work. The hospitals shall be run by committee made up of government appointed experts/workers, elected representative of workers and the communities.        

TRANSPORTATION

Lagos State Government has shown obvious lack of capacity to provide Lagosians with functional transportation system. Many roads are in such terrible shape such that they are impassable and inaccessible. This is one of the reasons Okada has become a major means of transportation. Fashola's response is to ban Okada in 475 roads. However, the same Fashola and ACN gave okada riders helmets and used them to campaign during the 2011 general election.  Fashola has only built very few roads while many of the community roads have been abandoned.

The state of the roads and drainage system are some the reasons there is flooding in many places whenever it rains. The SPN is opposed to the ban and attacks on Okada riders by the police and demand an end to these attacks. SPN is interested in phasing out Okada as a means of public transportation and that can be achieved by modernizing the means of transportation, which includes building all roads with good drainage, putting in place a metro-line that connects different parts of Lagos, investing in safe water transportation and putting in place a public mass transit. This is the only way a mega population of about 15 million can be successfully transported on a daily basis.

Social infrastructure and public corporations can only be sustained if they are democratically controlled by workers and communities to forestall mismanagement and embezzlement. For instance, Fashola and Tinubu's BRT bus scheme is fast collapsing and it explains why workers are regularly protesting and embarking on strikes. For instance, out of about 800 BRT buses, only 190 are in working condition while workers are paid poverty wages (Drivers earn about N30,000, bus sweepers and depot cleaners earn about N12,000 monthly).

HOUSING 

Lagos ACN since 1999 has only built houses for the rich while the poor have been abandoned. Despite that, the Tinubu and Fashola-led governments have continued to demolish houses and markets without alternatives or adequate compensation. The most recent is the inhuman demolition of Makoko, Ijora Badia and some houses in Ikorodu, thereby rendering millions of Lagosians homeless. SPN is opposed to such senseless demolitions without building alternative houses or without paying adequate compensation to the victims. SPN in responding to the housing crisis, will build different categories of decent housing estates whose rent will be affordable to workers and the poor. Where it is desirable to rebuild an area because of its poor or dangerous habitation, SPN government will reach an agreement with the inhabitants on either to be paid adequate compensations or to be relocated to a place built already.

TAX

Lagosians are one of most taxed people in the world, particularly when you consider the multiple taxation by different agencies and government at various levels. SPN will introduce progressive taxation wherein the rich will pay more tax. SPN will exempt the extremely poor, particularly those with low earnings either as workers or as traders.

Lagos Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) is N23 billion monthly while about N15 billion is collected from federal allocation monthly, but there is very little to show for this. The SPN government will be run transparently, hence much more funds will be generated as all loopholes for stealing and looting would have been blocked. These resources can be used to pay a minimum wage of N50,000 for workers as well as open up the economy through massive investment in basic infrastructure that will not only create jobs but also modernize the economy..

The SPN is opposed to the lekki toll and other tolls planned by the Lagos State Government. SPN shall scrap all tolls because it amounts to multiple taxation. 

WORKERS AND CONDITION OF SERVICE

If elected, the SPN government shall ensure the payment of living wage, not less than national minimum wage; the provision of decent condition of service and working condition, and the implementation of all national agreements reached with all categories of workers. All this shall be without retrenchment of workers. We shall invoke all necessary powers to ensure that the private sector employers implement national minimum wage and obey labour laws including zero tolerance to casualisation of workers. We shall pay to retired workers decent pension.  All political office holders on the platform of the party in Lagos and elsewhere will receive the average salary of civil servants. 

FOR A WORKING PEOPLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE

Nigerians are not interested in replacing one behemoth with another leviathan or hydra headed monster.  The APC is an alliance of convenience by disgruntled politicians lacking any progressive ideology to save Nigerians, and whose main agenda is to preserve their inordinate ambition to grab power at the centre, the “soul of the party” is not really different from the much-derided PDP. For instance, APC claims that it will offer Nigerians free education while Tinubu's ACN in Lagos has commercialized education through outrageous fee hike like it was introduced in LASU.

  Ultimately, Nigerians need a credible alternative, not just to replace the PDP in power, but to replace other ruling parties like ACN in Lagos. The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) is the party Workers, Youths and the Poor should join and consciously build in order to save the working people from social and economic ruin. 

For full manifesto of the SPN, get a published copy or visit our blog, www.socialistpartyofnigeria.blogspot.com

A NEW NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE. JOIN US TODAY AND ORGANISE IN YOUR LOCALITIES

SPN is inviting all those that are seeking change to a general meeting of the party. Date: Saturday May 18, 2013.

Time: 12 noon prompt. Address: 162, Ipaja Road, Agbotikuyo, bus stop, Agege.  Contact us on: 08098284000,

07033775517, 08121378435, 08098737370. Email us: socialistpartyofnigeria@yahoo.com