Two Years of Buhari Government is a Failure

A call for a Mass Working Peoples’ Party

PRESS STATEMENT

This May 29 marks the second anniversary of Muhammadu Buhari-led government. For the working people, the last two years have been a monumental disaster wrought by the anti-poor capitalist policies of the government.  So what the masses have bitterly experienced in the last two years are rising prices of goods and services far above their purchasing power, increasingly high costs of living in a country where the masses have to largely provide for themselves the basic necessities (education, health, housing, water, electricity, etc.), job losses and worsening poverty.

While acknowledging the fact that the Buhari government came to power at a period of a serious crisis of global capitalism which is exemplified by the slump in the oil prices, we of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) strongly hold that it is the anti-poor neo-liberal capitalist policies implemented by Buhari/APC government that have seriously compounded the suffering of the working people. These include increase in electricity tariff despite widespread darkness, hike in fuel price and devaluation of Naira.  This shows that Buhari led APC government, despite its grandstanding and propaganda to the contrary, is not fundamentally different from the previous administrations of the PDP as both parties support capitalism. 

We also hold that the limited seemingly populist program of Buhari government like anti-corruption crusade and social welfare empowerment are façade.  It should be noted that we fully support any genuine fight against corruption that will entail recovery of public loots and imprisonment of the culprits. But the Buhari’s anti-corruption fight has proved to be more of propaganda than a serious effort aimed at taming the menace of corruption. This is because as a capitalist government with agenda like privatization and contract system that inherently promote corruption, it cannot seriously fight corruption. This explains why on Buhari’s watch, his Secretary to Federal Government has allegedly enriched himself at the expense of the victims of Boko Haram’s terror through the infamous “grass cutting” scandal and the only response was to relieve the secretary of his job after public outcry that amounts to a slap on the wrist.

The so-called social program like the much vaunted NPower is not only extremely tokenistic but also much larger in propaganda than in the actual benefit for the poor masses and youths.  For instance, the NPower program has witnessed a series of protests from the purported beneficiaries who are owed allowances. 

It is sad that workers and the poor masses, who did not significantly benefit anything at the period of boom, are being made to bear the burden of the crisis of capitalism and failure of capitalist ruling elite. Unfortunately, the labour movement has not been able to resist these harrowing attacks. For instance, for more than two years, workers in at least 27 states have been owed salaries while political offices holders have earned jumbo allowances and salaries without any serious fight back initiated and sustained by the national leadership of labour despite spirited efforts by the affected workers. Also, all what labour could put up against the wicked fuel price hike in May 2016 was a feeble, half-hearted resistance. 

We therefore call on the leadership of labour movement to wake up to their responsibility of leading fight against all capitalist attacks unleashed on workers and the poor masses and for improved living conditions for the working people.  We call on them to show seriousness in their demand for N56, 000 minimum wage by preparing to fight for it as well as immediate settlement of all salaries and pensions arrears.  As the immediate step, we call on labour to declare a 24-hour warning general strike over minimum wage, unpaid salaries and pensions, job losses and mass poverty. 

By and large, we hold that the main reason Buhari government has failed the masses is its capitalist policies and philosophy which are also shared by all major political parties (APC, PDP, LP, APGA, etc.). Therefore, for the real change in economy and conditions of the working masses, a mass working people party on socialist program is needed. Therefore, ahead of 2019 election we call for special conference of trade union, artisan, trader, youth and socialist organisations to discuss how to build a political movement to wrest political power from the capitalist ruling elite and enthrone a workers and poor people's government armed with genuine socialist program.

Chinedu Bosah

National Secretary, SPN

    

SPN Fighting for Registration :Case against INEC finally came up for hearing

Adjourned till June 6 for INEC's response

On Thursday 4 May 2017, the matter (FCH/ABJ/CS/630/2014) between the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) finally came up for hearing at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division. 

The SPN filed the case on September 10 2014 to challenge the INEC's refusal to issue it a certificate of registration after fulfilling all lawful requirements for registration as a political party.

Thursday's hearing, which marks a new stage in the matter since it was filed about 3 years ago, came after INEC had wasted the time of the court for over one year while claiming it wanted to settle out of court with us.

After hearing the argument of the SPN's lawyer, the court adjourned the matter till 6 June 2017 for the respondent (INEC) argument. Hopefully judgment would not be long in coming.

This matter has lasted a total of two years and eight months without any real headway! Thursday's hearing makes it the 16th time the matter has been adjourned. During all these 16 adjournments, the matter only came up for mention 6 times! Aside from the machinations of INEC to frustrate us by wasting the time of the court for over one year through an out-of-court settlement process it was never committed to, the slow pace of the matter is equally attributable to the nature of the judiciary which is primed to make it harder for the poor to ever get justice. 

The significance of our grouse with INEC is that having met all lawful requirements for registration, there is no reason for the continuous withholding of our certificate of registration. As this matter continues to drag, it has become quite clear that INEC is serving the interest of the capitalist ruling elite who enormously fear the prospect of working and toiling people organizing in a political party to oust them from their corrupt rule. However no matter how long it takes, we are resolved not to relent.

 

Chinedu Bosah

National Secretary SPN

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN LAGOS: INEC MUST REGISTER SOCIALIST PARTY NOW IN ORDER TO JOIN THE ELECTORAL FRAY!

PRESS STATEMENT

We of the Lagos State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) view the recent declaration by Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASSIEC) of 22^nd July, 2017 as the date for elections into elected offices in Lagos State local governments as long overdue. The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission has been under obligation by virtue of a subsisting court judgment to conduct the elections but have delayed until now due to self-serving reasons.

Nonetheless, we hold that the forthcoming local council poll is another major reason why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should immediately issue the SPN its Certificate of Registration in order to participate in the electoral contest. The SPN has met all requirements of the law as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) while INEC has refused to issue the party its Certificate of Registration.

Without pro-working people’s parties such as the Socialist Party allowed to field candidates, the forthcoming elections will parade the host of anti-poor candidates that have made life intolerable for the mass of working people. Since inauguration in power, the Akinwunmi Ambode-led All Progressives’ Congress–controlled Lagos State Government has unleashed ceaseless attacks on the poor people in the state. These include demolition of waterfront communities which inflicted innocent and poor residents with losses of lives and properties. The regime’s major pursuit is to make Lagos the exclusive preserve for the super-rich as the lands grabbed from the poor have been sold to big pockets and the friends of government in big business.

We call on mass of workers, traders, artisans, community people to join the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and the campaign for its registration. SPN calls on the entire labour movement to build its own mass working people’s political alternative against all the pro-rich parties. All the looters have their own parties, the working people need a political voice of their own.

Moshood Osunfurewa

State Secretary

OYO STATE: Continuous appointment of local government caretakers by Ajimobi-led government is undemocratic and fraudulent

*We demand local council election and probe of the finances of Senator Ajimobi-led government

PRESS STATEMENT

 

The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, Oyo State chapter condemns and describes as undemocratic and fraudulent the continuing decision of the Abiola Ajimobi-led government of appointing caretakers as the head of the local council governments in the state. 

The SPN sees the recent appointments of a new set of local council caretakers’ chairmen by Senator Ajimobi-led government for the fourth times since the inception of the regime in 2011 as a ploy to continue to maintain its autocratic grip and control over the local council resources and funds. No wonder that most of the newly appointed caretaker chairmen are either pliable elements or family members/acolytes of the Governor and his associates who can easily be manipulated or used as rubberstamp of government plan which is usually centred around how the funds and revenues of local councils will continue to be monopolized and diverted for pecuniary interests of the state government; while the people remain in the dark on how funds allocated to the local councils are being spent. 

In the last six years, over 200 billion naira has accrued to local councils in the state from the federation account. This is aside many other counterpart funds from federal government agencies and organisations like Universal Basic Education Council (UBEC). Yet there is nothing to show for these huge resources in terms of practical improvement in the living condition of both the workers and the poor masses at different local council across the state.

Instead, the entire local councils and the services they provide in the state are in decrepit conditions. For instance, most local and intra-township roads are in terrible state.  Most of the public health institutions especially the primary health care services are in terrible conditions, lacking basic facilities to run effective medical services. This is as a result of chronic underfunding of health sector. Educational supports such as provision of educational materials like textbooks, note books, chalk, etc., that used to be given by local councils in the past has long been stopped. The most ridiculous is that, local council workers like their counterpart under state ministries are owed salary arrears ranging from 5 to 10 months.

It is in view of this that SPN believes that behind the periodic imposition of a new set of caretaker chairmen by Ajimobi-led government is a motive that is far from bringing about effective grassroots development in the state. Instead it is an arrangement to cover-up for its misdeeds and misplacement of funds meant for the development of various local councils in the state.   

This is why SPN continues to demand Local government elections that can the people at the grassroots the opportunity to elect their representatives and political office holders like the chairmen and chancellors through a democratic electoral system that guarantees equal rights for all political parties. At the same time, the SPN calls for a public probe panel composed by elected representatives of trade unions, communities, artisan groups and youth organisations to carry out extensive investigation into finances of local councils in the state under Ajimobi-led government.

 

Abiodun Bamigboye

Secretary, SPN Oyo State

SPN Demands Government takeover of OPL 245 and Nationalization of the Oil and Gas Industry under democratic management

Malabu Oil Scandal

Press Statement

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) hereby demands that government takes over Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 with immediate effect and run the oil block as a public entity under democratic control and management for the good and benefit of the entire people of Nigeria. 

Not doing this would allow this highly lucrative oil field to fall into the hands of crooks of all shades who are now circling round to have a slice of the collective wealth of our people. If this happens, the result would be further enrichment of a crooked few at the expense of the vast majority.

As far as we are concerned, OPL 245 and the entire oil and gas resources of Nigeria are the collective wealth of the entirety of the people of Nigeria. Therefore no individual or private company, whether local or multinational, has a right to take ownership of it.

We therefore demand that all individuals connected with this robbery of our collective wealth be immediately prosecuted. We also demand that oil and gas companies linked with the crime should be immediately stopped from doing business in Nigeria and all their holdings within the country be confiscated and nationalized. 

We make this call because of the unending scandal and legal battle rocking the sale of this oil block both within Nigeria and in the UK and Italy for more than a decade now. The latest ruling of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court granted the ownership of the oil block to Shell and Agip thereby vacating the January 26 order that granted the government interim ownership. 

Now following this ruling, the family of late military dictator Sanni Abacha is out demanding a share of the prize. In all of these, the ordinary people of Nigeria and the ordinary people of the Niger Delta who are the legitimate owners of the entire oil resources in the country are not considered. 

OPL is said to be the biggest oil block in Africa. The highly lucrative oil block which, according to industry figures, is said to hold at least 9.23 billion barrels of crude oil, equivalent to nearly one quarter of Nigeria’s total proven reserves, has been rocked by scandal since its fraudulent sale by the Abacha military dictatorship in 1998. In a display of legendary crookedness, Dan Atete, Abacha’s oil minister, sold the oil block to Malabu Oil and Gas - a company he set up and owns. Malabu later contracted Shell Petroleum and SNEPCO, in a joint venture scheme, to operate the license.

Afterwards in 2011, in a deal negotiated by the then country’s attorney-general of the federation and minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), the Jonathan government concessioned OPL 245 to Shell and ENI who paid $1.2 billion to Dan Atete and Malabu plus a signature bonus of $210 million to the Nigerian government. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said its investigation further revealed that the government was defrauded by SPDC and Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd by underpaying the sum of $210 million as a signature bonus on OPL 245.

The OPL 245 scandal just like the 2012 fuel subsidy scandal shows the highly corrupt and opaque situation in the oil and gas sector and the frequent connivance of top government officials, politicians, industry regulators and multinational companies to defraud the country. Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is dominated by a handful of multinational oil giants who make away with enormous profit from lifting and export of crude oil and gas. Apart from corruption and treasury looting, the placement of the oil and gas sector in private hands is a fundamental factor responsible for Nigeria’s underdevelopment and the existence of mass poverty in the midst of abundant potentials and resources.  

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) therefore calls for the public ownership of the oil and gas sector under the democratic control and management of the working people. It is only under this kind of pro-working people arrangement that it can be possible to ensure that Nigeria’s oil wealth is of benefit to the mass majority unlike the present situation whereby our oil wealth only enriches a tiny gang of politicians, oil multinationals and subsidy thieves. Equally it is only this kind of pro-working people arrangement that can ensure that the ordinary people of the oil producing states benefit from the oil resources found on their land while allowing for a rational plan to create alternative and clean energy sources and restore the Niger Delta environment serially violated and degraded by decades of unbridled activities of the oil companies.

Unfortunately, a capitalist government like the Buhari government cannot be expected to defend the collective wealth of the people and prevent its encroachment by capitalist vultures. Already, the same Buhari government is handing over many other prized public assets to private hands through neo-liberal policies of privatization, deregulation and concessioning. The railways are now top on the list of national assets the Buhari government wishes to sell off. Meanwhile, the history of privatization, looking at the sale of the power sector, Daily Times newspaper etc, in Nigeria shows that this economic measure is fraudulent and cannot help to develop the country. 

To put an end to such mindless rape of our collective wealth, the working people of Nigeria have to struggle to end capitalism and enthrone a working and poor people’s government based on a socialist program. It is only under this kind of government that collective resources and wealth of the society can be defended and placed under public ownership and democratic management in order to ensure that these resources are used primarily for the benefit of the mass majority instead of the profit of a few.

Chinedu Bosah

National Secretary, SPN