BEING THE PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY OSUN STATE CHAPTER OF SPN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 52ND ANNIVERSARY OF NIGERIA
We
condemn the spate of celebration and the deception of the entire ruling ruling
class given the parlous state of the economy, excruciating poverty and
infrastructural decay .We hold that the fifty-second anniversary of Nigeria’s
independence has met the mass of the Nigerian working people in a grievous and
appalling state wherein through the innumerous neo-liberal attacks, living
conditions continue to degenerate to the barest minimum.
We
hold that all the ruling parties of the capitalist elite ,including the PDP at
the national level and the ACN,
CPC,ANPP,APGA, LP etc, have made life unbearable for the Nigerian
masses through their combined neo-liberal attacks such as fuel price hike,
privatization, commercialization and liberalization which all they jointly
foist on the already pauperized masses .
We
contend that the working masses must not for once relent in their mass
opposition against these neo-liberal attacks as exemplified by the magnificent
January general strike and mass protests against the callous fuel price hike. We
strongly reject fresh plans on the part of the Jonathan regime on total fuel
subsidy removal and call on the mass of the working people to remain vigilant
and be ready to resume mass actions and occupations against this anti-people
policy.
We
are equally opposed to the sale of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and the
entire privatization of the power sector. We call on the generality of the working
masses and the electricity workers to be prepared to stage mass protest actions
against the handover of the power sector, under any guise including transfer of
its assets to bourgeois sharks and fraudsters like Otedola, Tony Elumelu (who
have corruption cases around their neck), IBB and Co. Already, the initial moves along this
direction have resulted in obnoxious increase in electricity tariff and the
privatization exercise would only result in job losses and the collapse of the
economy.
We
are equally appalled by the national flood disaster and holds the failure of
the all the ruling capitalist parties, both at national and state levels to
meet the challenge of basic and critical infrastructure as being responsible
for the disaster. We call on working masses in the affected communities to take
up the control of distribution of essential services and relief materials
through democratically –elected committees, in order to arrest the worsening
and neglected situation.
We
also view with displeasure the current moves of the Aregbesola-led Action
Congress of Nigeria to demolish existing structures in state public schools,
both dilapidated and non-dilapidated ones and replace them with “fantastical”
structures. We hold that construction of any new structure should go on
simultaneously with the upgrading of the current non-dilapidated structures.
More also, we hold that the organization and implementation programme of the
reconstruction of the schools should be placed under the control of democratically-elected
committees of representatives of teachers’ unions, principal associations and
the community groups .
We are also opposed to the moves on the part
of the Aregbesola regime to transfer medical students of the Osun State
University to Ukraine for the completion of their academic programme on the
basis of the non-accreditation of their Medical School in the state university.
We count this as completely absurd action and great show of characteristic
unwillingness on the part of the pro-rich and anti-poor Aregbesola regime and
the Action Congress of Nigeria to tackle the fundamental crisis of society,
which is in this case the proper upgrading of the Medical College of the state
university.
We
hold that these elitist and anti-poor policies of the Aregbesola regime
alongside the failure to implement the N18, 000 minimum wage and the fresh
plans to railroad Osun State workers into a fraudulent contributory pensions
scheme shows clearly the pro-rich character of the Action Congress of Nigeria
which is not fundamentally different from the ruling People’s Democratic Party
at the national level.
This
confirms the perspective of the socialists that the working masses need their
own independent and genuine political platform that can meet their genuine
aspirations. Hence, we call on workers, farmers, market women, youth, students
and the poor to join the Socialist Party of Nigeria which is striving to
put in power a revolutionary democratic
socialist government in Osun State and nationally.
We
call on the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade
Union Congress with pro-labour organizations including the Joint Action Front
to mobilize the mass of the working people for fresh national mass rallies and
two-day general strike against total fuel subsidy removal, sale of PHCN,
non-implementation of N18,000 minimum wage, etc .
We
call for the nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy under the
control of democratically –elected representatives of workers, youth and the
poor in order to galvanize the enormous wealth, currently being controlled by
the few clique in power at all levels to meet the genuine aspirations of the
working masses for free and functional education at all levels, standard and
accessible healthcare, jobs for the millions, better living conditions and
complete transformation of the economy . We hold that this is the only
democratic socialist panacea to the current capitalist nightmare that the generality
of the working masses are presently trapped.
Alfred Adegoke
Protem State Chairman
SPN, Osun State Chapter
