ONE YEAR OF BUHARI’S ADMINISTRATION: WHAT HAS CHANGED IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS?

Lagos SPN Public Meeting x-rays first anniversary of Buhari’s regime

Lagos State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria organized a Public Meeting on Saturday, 11^th June, 2016 to discuss the theme, “One Year of Buhari’s Administration: What has Changed in Social and Economic Conditions?

On the Panel of Discussants Adeolu Oyekan, Assistant Secretary of the Lagos State University Branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Comrade Amaechi, Chairperson of the Prommaisador Branch of Nigerian Union of Food and Tobbaco Employees (NUFTBE) and Aj. Daggar Tolar, the Chairperson of the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Branch of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) who is also a National Executive Committee member of the Socialist Party of Nigeria from Lagos State.

Adeolu Oyekan argued that going by the first-year performance of Buhari’s regime, it has failed in all ramifications and if it is a student in the university, it would be currently on probation. He argued that food security which is not tied to foreign exchange, the regime failed to meet the expectations of the working masses, with virulent scarcity of staple items such as tomato. He noted that it is worrisome that part of solution proffered by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the herdsmen crisis is the importation of grasses for cattle.  He raised that Fashola, the “Super Minister” of Works, Power and Housing and the “Prime Minister” of the regime has not tarred a single road, since assuming office. On housing, he questioned  how  Fashola  who as Lagos State Governor claimed that  since there is no “low cost cement”, there can be no “low cost housing” in Lagos” can guarantee mass housing at a national level. He submitted that a party like Socialist Party of Nigeria has to organize Nigerians into a mass movement to wrestle with thieving capitalist elite for political power.

Comrade Abadom Amaechi, in his submission argued that the question of “national restructuring” is quite imperative in engaging the socio-political crisis facing the mass of the working people. He argued that “Biafra” represents the expression of people’s distaste for injustice and that no part of the Nigerian state that have not suffered injustice. This means that there cannot be genuine restructuring without the capitalist structure of the society which creates material condition for the economic and social justice. He also noted that the socio-economic crisis has led to what is called “flexible policy”, with spate of downsizing, mass retrenchment and unpaid salaries. He noted that in the food industry, Guinness and Nigerian Breweries Limited have downsized and that the mass sack in the banking industry constitutes only a fraction of the mass retrenchment in the country.      

Daggar Tolar, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Socialist lampooned President Buhari for reducing the herdsmen crisis to fallout of the collapse of Libya and for his endorsement the repression of Shiites. He pointed the need for the mass of the working people not to buy the argument that it was the crash of crude oil prices alone that is responsible for the wave of unpaid salaries in about 26 states which have led to workers’ strikes in Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states. He raised the need for the labour movement to rebuild its industrial and political arsenal at the face of looming capitalist attacks.

During the questions and comments session, participants ranging from industrial workers, university students and community activists condemned the state of affairs under the Buhari’s regime on the occasion of its first anniversary and raised the need to discuss the building the Socialist Party of Nigeria into a mass-based organization in the coming period. Lanre Arogundade, a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Socialist Movement in his comment  raised the need to deepen the interventions in the workers, students, youth and community movement to re-arm the mass organisations of the working people with the best ideas to transform society. Segun Sango, the National Chairperson of the Socialist Party of Nigeria, in its short intervention in the discussion raised the need to build a mass working people opposition against anti-poor capitalistprogram.

In his reply to the questions of commentators, Daggar Tolar responded that the genuine ideas of socialism remains the way forward for a society like Nigeria that is trapped in the crisis of the neo-colonial question. He urged the elements coming into the party to take time to absorb the  fundamentals of socialist ideas. In his final remarks, Comrade Amaechi submitted that if unempirical ideas like ancestral spirits can be marketed by some elements, how much more the genuine ideas of socialism? He raised the need to spread our ideas to transform society.

Pelad hinted that the next adjourned date for the SPN court matter is 13^th July, 2016 for hearing and this would demand making expenses. A fighting fund for the SPN court matter was raised. Ayo Ademiluyi, in wrapping up the programme, hinted that the Public Meeting was organized by the Lagos State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria as part of the series of mass meetings to build the party in the state. He informed that in view of the recent replacement of the executives of the local councils with Sole Administrators, the Lagos State chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria would be opposing the action and begin a campaign for elections to be held.

INEC Visits SPN for Verification Exercise

After several months of delay, today Wednesday 9 March 2016, members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) gathered at the party headquarters in Abuja for a verification exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court for both parties to seek an out-of-court settlement of the suit before the court in which the SPN is challenging INEC's refusal to issue the party its certificate of registration after fulfilling all legal and constitutional requirements.

  

With today's exercise, we are hopeful that the 2-year journey to register a genuine working class political party that defends the principles and ideas of an egalitarian society is slowly coming to an end.

We appreciate all SPN NEC members from across the country as well as working class activists, students, youth, supporters and friends who have demonstrated uncommon resilience and commitment to this cause.

By March 31st, the suit will come up for mention again at the FHC. As is now our practice, we shall mobilize to the court again hopeful that very soon the SPN shall be issued its certificate of registration so that it can begin to offer genuine political alternative to change-seeking Nigerians who are already fed up with the rotten status-quo dominated by money-bag politics and urgently want a way out of the capitalist-induced crisis of mass poverty in the midst of stupendous wealth.

KEROSENE SUBSIDY REMOVAL: BUHARI TIGHTENS THE NOOSE ON WORKING PEOPLE AND THE POOR

Labour must act mobilize mass actions against anti-poor attacks

PRESS STATEMENT 

We of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) condemn in strongest terms the removal of subsidy on kerosene by Buhari government. With the move, the price of kerosene has been increased from 50 naira to 83 naira. We view the move as a further step in impoverishing the mass of the working people and the poor after subsidy on fuel has been removed.

It is a fact that kerosene is the means of cooking in most poor and working people homes. This action has further confirmed our position that there is no fundamental difference between APC and PDP and hence Buhari government cannot guarantee real change for the masses.

We are of the view the entire trade union movement and pro-working masses’ organisations must mobilise the working people to resist this attack

We note that the Nigeria Labour Congress has condemned  this attack through  the Communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Committee of held on 29^th January, 2016. However, we are quick to state that only organised mass movement can repel the avalanche of  attacks on working people and the poor.

More importantly, we submit that without the labour movement coming to a clear ideological conclusion that without the mass of working people taking over the reins of governance and the commanding heights of the economy and building a mass political movement to achieve this task, there is no way out for the working people.

Segun Sango

National Chairperson

 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS: LAGOS STATE GOVT MUST OBEY COURT ORDER

PRESS STATEMENT

We of the Lagos State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) welcome the recent court judgment granted by the Lagos State High Court ordering the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to conduct local government elections in Lagos State without delay. The case was instituted by the National Conscience Party (NCP). We believe that the court order is a judicial victory in all respects for the mass of the working people in Lagos State who have been denied the opportunity of democratically electing their desired candidates into the local governments in Lagos State. We salute the leadership of the NCP in Lagos State for their steadfastness in prosecuting this struggle unto victory.

We hold that the situation also demands that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) speedily grants the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) its Certificate of Registration after it has met all prescribed requirements under the law for the registration of a political party. This is because we are willing to join the electoral fray and contest the local government elections as ordered by the Court in Lagos State. Already on account of INEC’s refusal to register our party (something that is now being challenged at the Federal High Court Abuja Division), the SPN was denied the opportunity of taking part in the 2015 general elections. We believe that further denial of participation in forthcoming elections would amount to a grave injustice.

Many state governors have turned the local governments to their “handbags” as they appoint unelected Caretaker Committees and administrators to manage the affairs of these local governments. It is through this means that they purloin federal allocations sent to state government accounts for the running of local governments into their private pockets. This undemocratic manner, with which the leadership of the local governments is chosen, together with anti-poor policies including exploitation of masses under the guise of taxes, has rendered the local governments completely useless.

Unlike pro-rich political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) who see local government as conduit pipe for corruption, the SPN sees local government councils as veritable tool for development of our communities and provision of decent life for the people. To this end, the SPN demands an end to the fraudulent practice of State/local government joint account. We stand for independent, democratically-run and accountable local government councils that receive their allocations directly from federation account aside other internal sources of generating revenue.

We call for the struggle to compel LASIEC to organize local government elections to be sustained until victory is guaranteed. We call for wider awareness and publicity to expose this brigandage. We believe a successful struggle for democratic elections into local governments and the victory of a party like ours will spur the implementation of pro-working people policies of expansion of basic infrastructure, massive job creation and democratic management of resources by the working masses in the communities to advance the interest of the community people.

Moshood Osunfurewa

State Secretary