The Socialist Party of Nigeria felicitates with workers on the
occasion of this year international workers' day. Traditionally, workers
through the trade unions use this occasion to table before the
government and private employers a number of demands aimed at improving
our living and working condition. This year will not be different. But
this May Day is taking place barely four months after the mightiest
general strike in Nigeria's history. In January, practically the entire
country united in protest against the latest attempt to place the burden
of the country's crisis on the shoulders of working people and the
poor. Tens of millions looked to Labour not just for reversing the fuel
price hike but increasingly for "regime change". But tragically most
Labour leaders backed down, not just from challenging the Jonathan
clique but also on totally reversing the fuel price hike.
An opportunity was lost. The NLC and TUC specifically said that they
did not want "regime change". But May Day shows precisely why "regime
change", a break with capitalism, is urgently needed. Many will have
noticed that most of the demands put forward in previous years are
repeated this year. Government has refused to meet those demands. It is
not that there are no resources to meet them. It is because, being
pro-capitalist, the government does not represent the interest of
workers and the poor. Most of the political parties contest for power to
satisfy the self-serving interest of the rich, corrupt politicians and
contractors mostly called private sectors. It is against this background
the Socialist Party is formed as a genuine alternative that represents
the interest of workers, youths and poor masses. The party will struggle
for political power with the aim of using the resources of society to
meet their yearnings and aspirations of working people and the poor. We
call on workers to join the party today and become active members.
The past plundering of Nigeria by British imperialism under colonial
rule has now been replaced by a new colonialism, as the elite hand over
Nigeria's assets to be exploited by the multinational companies. It is
crucial for a new direction to be followed in which a majority of
Nigerians will live a life of happiness and fulfillment rather than what
we are presently experiencing (a life of poverty, want and disease).
Towards this end, the SPN will always give full and active support to
agitation to democratically discuss and redesign Nigeria.
The best part of current civil rule that began in 1999 has seen
Nigeria amass huge wealth from the longest run of oil boom in its
history. Yet, the vast majority of Nigerians experience near absolute
poverty in the midst of plenty. Infrastructures are in terrible state
while public education and health care are grossly underfunded. We pay
exorbitantly high price for fuel despite being the world's seventh
largest oil exporter; the price of petrol, for instance, has been
increased by 385% since 1999! Workers have to go on strike actions
before we could gain little concession. Factories have been closing
shops and some have relocated out of the country with attendant job
losses as a result of collapse of infrastructure and outrageous cost of
energy. This has been the scorecard of anti-poor government and
political parties. We need a working class alternative; we need a
Socialist Party that can bring into being a government that represents
the working people and poor.
All the major political parties in Nigeria are one and the same.
They are united against working people and poor with brutal capitalist
neo-liberal attacks and brazen robbery of our collective wealth. All of
them embrace and implement anti-poor capitalist policies of
privatization, deregulation, commercialization and cuts in social
spending. For instance, while the PDP's federal government wickedly
increased fuel price, the ACN's government in Lagos state callously
hiked the school fees of Lagos State University by about 750% which has
resulted in over 60% of the qualified students forfeiting their
admission because of inability to pay. All the state governments
irrespective of ruling political parties have not fully implemented the
minimum wage. The failure of governments at all level has made it
mandatory for everybody to strive to provide for their electricity,
water, education of children and health care. All this has to come to
end.
While in power, the party will commit the resources of the society
to provision of basic infrastructure and facilities that could guarantee
free and quality education, health care, good roads, affordable
housing, regular power etc. Outside the power, the party will identify
with the struggles of workers, professionals, artisans, traders, youths
and poor masses with an alternative that benefits the vast majority. We
shall also campaign for government to provide basic infrastructure and
to meet the demands of workers and the poor.
To mobilize adequate resources for social needs and infrastructure,
the party will reverse the anti-poor policy of privatization which is
daylight robbery of public properties and collective patrimony. The
party will put the key sectors of the economy under public ownership so
that the use of the country's resources can be democratically organized
to meet the needs of the masses, not the profits of the few. In order to
prevent debacle and corrupt practices which have characterized public
companies, the nationalized companies will be put under democratic
control and management of the workers and consumers. We hold that the
failure of public companies is not because they are publicly owned but
because they are run with self-serving interest and not in public
interest. The crisis in the banking sector which required huge bail out
from public funds for
some of the banks to remain afloat shows that
private sector are not better managers of economy and resources.
Besides, all the probes (power, fuel subsidy, pension, etc) undertaken
by the National Assembly have shockingly revealed that the so-called
private sector work hand in hand with corrupt public officers to fleece
and ruin the entire country. We need a party that is prepared to run
governance and economy for the benefits of all as against the
profit-first interest and greed of a few.
The anti-poor politicians and top government functionaries pay
themselves jumbo salaries and allowances and in most cases loot the
treasury, yet they claim that the new minimum wage of N18,000 for
workers cannot be supported by economy. While holding political offices,
members of Socialist Party, elected and appointed, shall only earn the
average salaries paid to skilled civil servants while the state will be
responsible for proven and reasonable expenses. The elected officials on
the platform of the party will be subjected to recall by their electors
The major lesson of the January 2012 struggle and the previous
general strikes since the advent of civil rule is the dire need for a
genuine, mass party of the people that based itself on the working class
and could wrest power from the thieving ruling elite and use the public
resources for the benefit of all. This is what Socialist Party stands
for. The Socialist Party, whilst striving to build itself, shall
continue to campaign for formation of a pan-Nigeria mass working people
party armed with socialist program. The party will work to help the
trade unions become fighting bodies as part of building a vibrant
movement of workers, youth and all the oppressed that can lead the
struggle to chase the anti-poor, pro-capitalist politicians out of the
power. As part of this the party shall contest political power and
struggle with workers and the poor in their demands for improved living
and working conditions, and against anti-poor, capitalist neo-liberal
attacks by government at all levels.
Workers and ordinary people cannot find expression in all
pro-establishment political parties since they are run based on
anti-poor policies and program. Socialist Party shall be organized
democratically such that all active and disciplined party members shall
contribute to the running and program of the party. Let's join the
Socialist Party. It is the party of workers, youths and the poor. Join
us and help build the party for millions and not a few multi-millionaires.
Segun Sango
Protem National Chairperson
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