BOMB EXPLOSIONS IN ABUJA: ANOTHER EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OF CAPITALIST GOVERNMENT

FOR DEMOCRATIC SELF-DEFENCE COMMITTEES

PRESS STATEMENT

We in the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) condemn in strongest terms the terrorist attack on the popular Nyanya motor park in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Monday April 14 which killed over 70 people. While no group has claimed responsibility we hold that the Nyanya bomb blast is another one in the long chain of heinous terrorist attacks on the working people in Nigeria.

We contend that the attack has further exposed the utter helplessness of the state-apparatus in the face of the behemoth of terrorist activities. This again justifies the need for the building of armed self-defence committees under democratic control of the working people in the communities, parks, schools and marketplaces to forestall and defeat terrorist attacks.

We hold that it is mass suffering and anger in the midst of enormous resources as a result of the failure of the successive capitalist governments to commit the huge wealth of society for the benefit of vast majority of the population that has created fertile and veritable grounds for recruitment into terrorist activities.

What the outpouring of agitation and protests against the attack urgently demands is an accurate leadership from the working people's organisations including the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress with the Joint Action Front (JAF) to spearhead an immediate mass movement nationwide against the growing terrorist activities and killings as well as the palpable incompetence and incapacitation of the government to rein in the terror. While the NLC has issued a press statement to condemn the attack, it must join forces with other pro-working people's political organisations to name a DAY OF NATIONAL MOURNING AND MASS PROTESTS. The National Day of mourning and mass protests against terror must also include the demands against the anti-poor policies like education attacks, mass unemployment and poverty wages.

The failure of the government in the face of this disastrous situation has raised the urgent need for a working people's political alternative that can proffer an alternative agenda. This more so that different fractions of these monstrous capitalist ruling elite organised in both PDP and APC are only preoccupied with how to turn the misfortune and loss of ordinary people to self-serving political advantages.

We of the SPN are prepared to work together with pro-working people's organisations in spearheading the building of the much -needed mass political movement to remove the rotten capitalist ruling elite from power. This should be linked with the task of socialist transformation which will open up a new society without poverty, terrorism and war. We urge the mass of workers, students, youth and the poor to join and build the SPN to achieve this task

Segun Sango

National Chairperson