SPN HOLDS PROTEST IN LAGOS AND IBADAN AGAINST INEC REFUSAL TO REGISTER THE PARTY

By Mojeed Ibrahim

Members of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) with placards, banners and leaflets held protest actions in Lagos and Ibadan Wednesday, January 28, as parts of the activities in the campaign for the registration of the party. INEC, the national electoral commission, refused to register SPN despite it fulfilling all the legally stipulated requirements for the registration of a political party. 

The protest was organized to coincide with the hearing, scheduled for Wednesday January 28, in the suit filed by the party at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the refusal of the INEC to register the party. The court did not however sit apparently because things were not yet well in order as the judiciary workers had just resumed work on Monday after about one-month strike action. March 3, 2015 has now been picked as the new date for the hearing. 

In Lagos ten (10) members of the party took the protest to two national television stations Galaxy and TV Continental. Chinedu Bosah, the National Secretary of SPN addressed the press on behalf of the party.

In Ibadan, about twenty (20) members of the party led by the Oyo state secretary of the party, Biodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky) held protest march to the Oyo state office of the INEC. The protest was covered by journalists from both electronic and print media.

It should be recalled that there were similar protests by SPN members on November 19, 2014 at Federal High Court Abuja when the matter first came up in court. On the same date there was also solidarity protest at the Nigerian High Commission and Embassies in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Belgium by members of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI), the international socialist organization in which the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), the group which is one of the promoters of the SPN, belongs.

The undemocratic action of INEC is not unconnected to the resolve of the capitalist ruling elite to prevent the legal existence of a party like SPN that represents the interests and aspirations of working people and poses a socialist alternative to the anti-poor neo-liberal capitalist programme of the pro-establishment political parties. For instance, some of the requirements for the registration that we had to fulfill are not only undemocratic but also onerous for a party without moneybags. These include payment of non-refundable administrative fee of N1million (One Million Naira), National Headquarters in Abuja and a National Executive Committee (NEC) with members from at least 24 states plus Abuja. 

Members of the SPN have resolved to continue with a series of political actions in addition to the ongoing legal process to force the INEC to register the party. We call on labour and pro-masses organizations as well as individual activists in Nigeria and globally to actively support the struggle for the registration of the SPN.

Below are some of the pictures of the protest actions

Abbey Trotsky, Oyo State SPN Secretary speaking with journalists at INEC office Ibadan

Chinedu Bosah,  SPN National Secretary speaking with journalists at the protest in Lagos

SPN members at the protest in Lagos

SPN members at the protest at INEC office Ibadan

 

OGUN STATE TEACHERS’ STRIKE: WE CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF UNPAID SALARIES

Press Statement

We of the Ogun State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) support the Ogun State teachers in their ongoing strike action over unpaid salaries since November 2014. We strongly condemn the failure of the Ibikunle Amosun-led All Progressives’ Congress (APC) government in the state to meet the very basic needs of workers such as prompt payment of their salaries.

We call on the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state not to limit the strike to sit-at-home action but also undertake mass actions to push and mobilize mass support for the strike and their demands.  We also call on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to openly support the demands of the striking teachers and organise solidarity actions in their support. 

We also call on the teachers and the entire workers in the state not to invest illusions in the other anti-worker, anti-poor parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party which are posturing to take political power from the All Progressives’ Congress as they are all the same.

We hold that the non-payment of workers’ salaries is a foretaste of the imminent anti-poor capitalist attacks that are on the agenda of all the major parties contesting in the forthcoming general elections given the current economic maelstrom occasioned by the slump in global oil market and their subscription to anti-poor neo-liberal capitalist program. Therefore, we call on the national leadership of NLC and TUC to begin immediately the mass mobilization of the working people and youths for mass struggles against austerity measures and anti-poor attacks that will be intensified in the post-election period by government at all levels.

We submit that the current absence of a genuine working peoples’ political alternative in the 2015 elections that can raise the demands of workers for payment of salaries is a challenge to the leadership of the labour movement to build a formidable mass working people party that can contest for power. We in the SPN combine the battle for registration with the renewed campaign for the formation of a mass working people political party by the wider labour movement.  We call on workers, artisans, traders and youths in the state to join the SPN which is a party that defends the interests of the working people and youth while at the same time offers and builds a working people alternative.

Eko John Nicholas

Secretary, SPN Ogun State

08022634850

N10 REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF PETROL IS RIDICULOUS

NLC and TUC Should Name Appropriate Price and Begin Mass Mobilisation for its Actualisation

PRESS STATEMENT

We of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) view the recent N10 reduction in the price of petrol from N97 per liter to N87 as cynical and tokenist. We support the positions of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress that the reduction does not reflect the fall in the price in the global oil market.

We also hold that the position of the campaign organization of Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives' Congress (APC), that calls for total deregulation and cancellation of subsidy in the downstream sector of petroleum industry (Guardian, Tuesday January 20, 2015) is a confirmation of the fact that both APC and PDP subscribe to the same anti-poor neo-liberal capitalist policies. This shows that Buhari, whose candidature has been boosted by a mass illusion, will unleash the same neo-liberal attacks such as deregulation, privatization among others on the working people and the poor as being currently done by President Jonathan government, if elected into power.

We however hold that it is not enough for the labour leadership to call for further reduction in petrol price. They should demand the appropriate amounts that the prices of petrol as well as kerosene and diesel must be reduced to, and issue a 2-week ultimatum to the federal government to meet the demand failing which there should be a one-day warning strike and mass protest as the first step. They should start mass mobilization of the working people and youths for the proposed action immediately.

It is imperative to stress the fact that the so-called invisible hands of market forces have not automatically engendered reduction in the price of diesel, which has been deregulated, despite the slump in crude oil price. This shows that the deregulation policy of the government is a monumental fraud and exploitation. Besides, the regulated price of Kerosene that is supposed to be sold for N50 per liter is currently being sold for about N120 and yet Kerosene is being subsidized. Therefore, the labour leadership must link the demand for reduction in fuel prices with struggle against anti-poor policies of deregulation and privatization. This must also go side by side with the demand for comprehensive repair of the existing refineries and building of new ones as well as putting them and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as a whole under a democratic control of workers and relevant professionals. However, given the parasitic and anti-poor character of Nigerian capitalist ruling elite, it is only a pro-working people government that can implement these demands on a lasting basis.

This has therefore raised the question of a formidable mass working people political alternative on a socialist program that could wrest power from the thieving capitalist ruling elite. This is why we in the SPN combine the struggle for registration and building of our party which offers a striking example of working peoples' alternative with the campaign for a mass working peoples' political party within the broader labour movement. We therefore reiterate our call on the leadership of NLC and TUC to convene a conference of labour, socialist, youths and pro-masses organizations to discuss the formation and building of such party.

Segun Sango

National Chairperson, SPN

2015 ELECTIONS: LAGOS SPN MEETING DRAWS PROGRAMME FOR INTERVENTION

By SPN Reporters

 

Lagos State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) has resolved at its January 17 general meeting/public symposium to programmatically intervene in the fast-approaching 2015 general elections. The meeting reviewed the resolution of the last general meeting held on 6^th December, 2014 to organise a mass protest rally to INEC National Headquarters Annex on January 28^th, 2015 which is the return date for the SPN court matter at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The meeting resolved to continue mass mobilization of members of the Lagos SPN for the rally, in spite of the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria which has shut down the courts. The meeting resolved that branch meetings should be held on January 24^th, 2015 to intensify mobilization for the protest rally. The meeting also resolved that branches should carry out tablings and mass circulation of leaflets on January 31^st, 2015 to take the perspectives of the SPN on the general elections to the broad layers of the working masses.

The meeting also resolved that a Lagos Aggregate Meeting should be convened on February 7^th, 2015 to bring together the ranks of the organisation to clarify and discuss perspectives on the 2015 general elections. The meeting also resolved that branches should hold tablings and mass circulation of pamphlets and leaflets on February 21^st, 2015, which is the only non-election day between 14^th and 28^th February, 2015.

The meeting also resolved that a Public Symposium to appraise the general elections should be held on March 7, 2015. A proposed programme with speakers and themes/sub-themes was circulated and would further be subjected to debate.

The meeting had a political discussion on the 2015 general elections and the working masses. Ayo Ademiluyi, in his lead off explained that all the illusions built around the Jonathan regime in the run up to the 2011 general elections have disappeared largely due to the failure of the regime to deliver on the promises and the avalanche of neo-liberal attacks it has inflicted. He explained that given the pro-capitalist orientation of Buhari and the All Progressives’ Congress, they would not be able to bring about the “CHANGE” they are chanting for the working people. He underlined the fact that the failure of the labour movement to proffer a genuine political alternative has led to the current political confusion that pervades mass consciousness. He concluded that the period after the general elections would spring mass movements against neo-liberal attacks, given the roiling economic crisis, which if the SPN properly intervenes would yield political gains.  

The meeting ended on the strong mood to intensify the struggle for the actualization of the registration and commitment to build the party in spite of its current no-registration. This task would also be combined with the renewed campaign for the crystallization of a new fighting working people’s party that encompasses the broader labour movement. 

Unpaid Workers’ Salaries:

Labour Must Provide A Steadfast Leadership for Mass Resistance against Fresh Neo-liberal Economic Attacks

PRESS STATEMENT

We of the Socialist Party of Nigeria join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to condemn the widespread non-payment of workers’ salaries by state governments and the Federal Government. We view the fact that about 11 state governments have refused and neglected to pay November and December salaries of workers as a great assault on the living conditions of the working class.

We support the directive of the NLC to its state chapters in Benue, Plateau and Osun States to issue ultimatums on their respective state governments, which have refused to pay their workers between three and eight months! Osun state government has however shamelessly claimed that it owes two months and not three months as alleged by the NLC.  We condemn the Jonathan-led Federal Government for the non-payment of Federal Government workers in the ministries of Education, Labour and Productivity and the other Federal Departments and Agencies. Therefore, similar ultimatum must be issued by the relevant industrial unions in the public sector against the federal government. 

We of the SPN view these latest attacks as part of the efforts of the capitalist ruling elite to hurl the burden of economic crisis in the face of fall in the crude oil prices on the backs of the working people. We call on the NLC and TUC leadership to begin to build a serious mass resistance, including mass protest and possibly a one-day warning general strike, against the non-payment of worker salaries and other likely anti-poor austerity measures by the federal and state governments. Labour leadership must not allow the government to make the poor and working people paying for an economic crisis brought upon by the failure of the entire capitalist ruling elite. We support the call of the labour leadership for cut in outrageous pays of top government functionaries of the government at all levels. We however call on the labour leadership to also demand the reduction in the fuel price given the sharp slump in crude oil price and a new national minimum wage. Labour must concretely propose figures for new fuel price and minimum wage and prepared to struggle for their actualization.

However, the attempt by the ruling elite in all pro-establishment parties to make poor and working people, who did not benefit when the crude oil price was high, pay for the crisis of capitalism has further underscored the imperative of a working people political alternative.

We view the statement credited to the NLC leadership that workers should vote out anti-worker politicians as hiding behind a finger in the face of the absence of a genuine working people’s political alternative. The total degeneration of the Labour Party into an out-and-out party of anti-worker politicians should be a sobering point for the NLC to abandon illusions in reclaiming the party through such means of instituting Caretaker Committee. Rather, they should kick-start the process of building a new working people’s party. While we hold that the forthcoming 2015 elections is another lost opportunity for the labour movement, we call for immediate steps to begin building a real working people's party that can offer an alternative
through the convocation of a Political Conference of trade unions, left parties, socialist groups and the pro-masses organisations by the leadership of the NLC and TUC.

We hold that it is the upturning of the current capitalist arrangement in Nigeria by the working people and the enthronement of a working people government anchored on a democratic socialist programme that can permanently end the suffering amidst plenty. The Socialist Party of Nigeria combines its ongoing struggle for registration with the campaign for a genuine mass working people’s political party to achieve this task. We call on workers and youth to join us in the struggle against austerity policies and for a working peoples’ political alternative. 

Segun Sango

National Chairperson