RE: NLC PLANNED PROTEST AGAINST PENSION SCAM

The SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA (SPN) welcomes and fully supports the decision by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) to “mobilize workers on a protest march to the presidency and state government houses … over growing level of corruption and crisis in the pension industry”. We particularly applaud the directives to the “NLC affiliate unions, state councils friends and allies of organized labour to immediately commence mobilization for the action” on April 10.

The SPN wishes to strongly note that the act of massive treasury looting is not confined to pension sector. Just two days after the CWC of the NLC resolved to mobilize the workers against the growing level of corruption and crises in the pension sector, the Punch newspaper editorial of March 15, 2013, states “Nigeria has been financially hemorrhaged by some corrupt leaders, as reports from the United States-based Global Financial Integrity indicates. The agency recently said a total of $182 billion was stolen and laundered offshore between year 2000 and 2009. The GFI describe Nigeria as”the leading source of illicit financial outflow from Sub-Saharan Africa”.

The SPN therefore strongly advocates that the protest slated for April 10, 2013 by the NLC must be seen by all as the first step by the working masses and the poor to build a movement that will recover our stolen wealth and terminate the capitalist rule of corruption and impunity that presently reigns supreme in Nigeria. We consequently urge the NLC leaders to energetically and creatively mobilize all its affiliates and labour’s traditional allies to ensure a resounding success of the proposed protest. We urge the NLC leaders to be steadfast on its decision, knowing fully well that all agents of the treasury looters will do everything possible to discourage the NLC from going ahead with the protest on April 10 and, most importantly, seriously continuing the campaign.

The SPN also calls on all genuine allies and supporters of labour including the Joint Action Front (JAF) to energetically mobilize on the ground for this protest in workplaces, communities, schools and campuses. We call on all civil society groups that have been denouncing corruption and anti-poor policies in governance in recent past to participate actively in the proposed action initiated by the NLC.

Ultimately, the SPN argues that only the institution of a working people and the poor government can ensure that all looters are stripped of their booty and that Nigeria’s abundant human and natural resources will be commonly owned and democratically managed and planned by the working masses to meet the needs and aspirations of all as opposed to the present unjust order that only favours the tiny rich few

Dare to struggle! Dare to win!

Segun Sango.

Protem National Chairperson