Thursday 27 February 2014

SANUSI’S SUSPENSION:



WORKING MASSES MUST RESIST ENDLESS LOOTING

No illusions in Sanusi or Jonathan, working masses’ organizations must mobilise mass resistance against all sections of the looting elite



We in the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) regard the suspension of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Central Bank Governor by President Goodluck Jonathan as a grand plan to cover the tracks of his government on the alleged missing $20 billion oil revenue. 

We do not doubt that Sanusi might be guilty of serious financial recklessness as alleged by President Jonathan. Indeed, we suspect that all his unbridled donations to different causes are veritable means of siphoning public resources to different self-serving purposes. We however hold that this is not the real reason for his suspension by President Jonathan. This is because Jonathan government is not renowned for fight against corruption.

We recall that last year President Jonathan unashamedly granted state pardon to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the former governor of Bayelsa who was convicted of monumental corruption and a fugitive of law from Britain where he is still facing money laundering charges. Also, President Jonathan only officially relieved Stella Oduah of her ministerial post like three other ministers in order to pursue a political ambition and not because of serious allegation of financial recklessness and corruption she was involved.  These are few examples of how Jonathan government is in comfort with corruption.

We observe that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been unable to provide concrete evidence to deny the claims of Sanusi on the missing oil revenue at different rounds of hearings on the matter at the Senate. Yet, all the comments and actions of the top functionaries of Jonathan government tend towards a cover-up for the NNPC management.

SANUSI- A PRO-CAPITALIST POPULIST

However, we in the SPN urge the mass of working people not to hold any iota of illusion in Sanusi as an “anti-corruption” fighter. To us, Sanusi is a pro-capitalist element who as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria supervised the bailout of big fraudsters in the Nigerian Banking industry with public funds. The big-time robbers at the helms of Nigerian banks after having run them aground received a mere slap on the wrist in the courts and huge bailouts from the government.

We also recall that Sanusi was at the centre of the advocacy for the removal of fuel so-called subsidy that led to the tumultuous 2012 general strike and mass protests. As an anti-working class fighter for the entire capitalist ruling elite, he is a major advocate for mass retrenchment of workers ostensibly in order to “save” the economy.  

MISSING OIL REVENUE - MASS ACTIONS NOW TO STOP ENDLESS LOOTING

However, the suspension of Sanusi has not taken the heat off the main underlying issue of the missing $20 billion oil revenue for the Jonathan regime. It can only be said that it has only confirmed the validity of the allegations, and in a way accord Sanusi a “populist” clout.

We call on working masses organizations including Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as the Joint Action Front (JAF) to build mass actions to demand an end to the massive looting going on under the Jonathan regime with the concurrent demand that the regime should go.

However, this clear political demand can only be given forceful expression within the broad framework of a pan-working peoples’ political and electoral alternative that can be at the head of the mass movement against the current regime and its second eleven, the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) which has turned Sanusi into a “delightsome bride”. We hold that this scenario has only confirmed the urgent need for a genuine working peoples’ political alternative.

The SPN is currently working towards its registration with the INEC. The party can act as a small but decisive step towards filling the wide void in the representation of interests of the working people in and outside elections. This is together with working to help rebuild the workers’ movement from the base to play its all-important and historical task of leading other sections of the oppressed strata in an unwavering struggle to defeat capitalism. The SPN will be at the forefront of the immediate mass mobilization to resist the massive and endless looting by the thieving capitalist ruling elite in Nigeria.       


Segun Sango
National Chairperson

Friday 14 February 2014

Please Donate to SPN Registration Solidarity Fund



SPN AND ONE MILLION NAIRA INEC REGISTRATION FEE

We write to update you on an exciting new development on the Nigerian political landscape and seek your active and financial support.

On the 16th of November 2013, the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) was launched in Lagos.

The party has been launched against the backdrop of persistent inability of the current ruling political parties to sustainably improve the living standards of ordinary Nigerians. They have failed to invest in, and provide decent and affordable housing; efficient and affordable mass transport; good roads, free quality education; affordable food and nutrition, gender equality, recreational facilities, efficient government, decent employment and jobs. All development indices, which a government that genuinely wishes to fulfill the country’s development potential and aspirations of its citizens should provide, are absent.

The Party (which is an initiative of the Democratic Socialist Movement and likeminded activists and campaigners) wants to submit its application for registration to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We have written the INEC to request requirements for registration application. In their reply, the INEC say that we have to provide the evidence of payment of non-refundable fee of One Million Naira before they could furnish us necessary documents and forms for processing our application.  (See below the INEC Reply)

In other words, we have to raise the money soonest in order to begin the process of submitting our registration application. It should be noted by the virtue of Electoral Act, Section 78 (1) the application must be submitted not later than 6 months before a general election which has now been scheduled for February 2015. We want to make the payment latest by this month end. We know it is achievable, but it requires serious support of all.

We therefore kindly seek the solidarity of trade unionists and workers, democratic lawyers, journalists, academics and other likeminded professionals, artisans, youth and students to kindly make solidarity contributions towards the official registration fee of One Million Naira.

The exorbitant registration fee of One Million Naira on its own speaks volumes about the type of democracy being practiced in Nigeria which imposes registration and nomination fees far beyond the means of ordinary honest citizens. Until recently, the fee used to be N100, 000. This outrageous increase is one of desperate measures meant to discourage a pro-masses party like ours from seeking registration let alone becoming a registered party. But we have all determined to surmount this hurdle placed in our way.  The party does not have money bags or big financiers. The party is financed from contribution by members and supporters.


Your kind donation to this solidarity fund will assist greatly in helping to provide a genuine political platform and alternative voice for workers, youth, democratic activists, campaigners,  professionals and millions of ordinary people which at present is sorely lacking but is a necessary component of genuine multiparty democracy.

Kindly send your donation to:

Account Name: SPN Ventures
Account Number: 2023381939
Bank: First Bank

Please send confirmation information of such payment through text message, phone call or e-mail to the following contacts:
Tel: 08134771300, 08098284000                  E-mail: socialistpartyofnigeria@yahoo.com


We thank you for your kind consideration and solidarity.


Chinedu Bosah
National Secretary
Socialist Party of Nigeria



Wednesday 12 February 2014

SPN Calls for Immediate Payment of Pension to Osun State Retirees


PRESS STATEMENT

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Osun State Chapter hereby calls on the Aregbesola/APC government in Osun State to immediately settle the pension of retirees in Osun State. Many of these retirees are already leaving from hand to mouth, despite having committed their active lives to serving the society. Many of them are already infirm and can hardly afford the exorbitant hospital bills no thanks to commercialization of healthcare by various governments in the country, including the Aregbesola government. Many have their children in schools, and can hardly pay high fees. While many of these retirees have not been put on the payroll since their retirement in December 2012, those already on the payroll are still owed several months of unpaid pension arrears and gratuity. Thus, these retirees, who have no other means of livelihood, can hardly meet their basic needs, while majority are already in debt.

We in the SPN support the protest action organized by the retirees in the state. Indeed, we commend them for taking this road, since the Aregbesola government has refused to listen to reason. We call on the retirees to continue on this path and build it up. We call on them to mobilize other oppressed people in the state including students, youth, traders, artisans, etc to their cause through educative and enlightenment campaign. We also call on leadership of labour movement to stop its criminal silence over the plight of retirees whose union incidentally is an affiliate of NLC. We call for joint struggle of workers and their retired counterparts for living wages and pension as well as their prompt payment.

We condemn the posture and position of the Aregbesola government to the demand of the pensioners. Attempt by the commissioner for finance, Wale Bolorunduro, to place the blame of non-payment of retirees’ entitlement on the retirees themselves is at best ridiculous. The commissioner, in an issued statement, suggested that the failure of retirees to get paid is because they retired earlier, and did not allow themselves to be exploited by the fraudulent Contributory Pension Scheme put in place by government to shirk in its responsibility to workers. Indeed, it was the government that forced many of the workers to retire earlier, through its new pension policy that compelled workers in the state who have spent more than 20 years in service to retire compulsorily or join the Contributory Pension Scheme, where they will only receive a fraction (less than 20 percent) of their pension for some years. While they would have loved to work for more years, they chose to retire because they believed government would behave more responsibly than Shylock pension managers.

Moreover, the Commissioner was economical with the truth when he tried to place the whole blame of the anti-worker pension policy the previous Oyinlola/PDP government. While it is true that the Oyinlola government introduced the anti-worker, anti-retiree policy in 2009, the fact is that Aregbesola government implemented this obnoxious policy. Therefore, the blame of this policy should be placed at the doorstep of both Oyinlola/PDP and Aregbesola/APC administrations.

While we call for the immediate settling of pension and gratuity arrears of retirees in the state, and immediately placement of all retirees on the payroll, we also call for the immediate scrapping of the obnoxious new pension policy that is only meant to enrich private pension managers while absolving government of its commitment to adequate and living pension, all at the expense of poor retirees. We also call for a living pension for all retiree, and full implementation of minimum wage in the state. We also call for the formation of a pension fund to be managed by elected representative of retirees, workers’ unions and government representatives in order to guarantee living pension and prompt payment to all retirees.

Signed


Alfred Adegoke                                              Kola Ibrahim
State Chairman                                               State Secretary

Friday 7 February 2014

School Merger and Religious Crises in Osun State Schools:



SPN Calls for Genuine Education Summit
·         We oppose merger of schools, but call for massive expansion of all schools

The attention of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Osun State has been drawn to a recent event in Iwo, Osun State as reported in the 5th February, 2014 edition of the Punch newspaper. According to the report, Baptist High School, a public school, was turned into a centre of religious cacophony. According to the paper, “there was confusion at Baptist High School Iwo, Osun State as some students shunned their uniforms and wore choir gowns, white garments, Islamic apparel and other unconventional dresses to the school… But Tuesday confusion reportedly became more pronounced at the assembly ground as the pupils could not listen to their teachers because they were busy lining up themselves along religious lines.”

 While government will expectedly explain this away as being sponsored, it is glaring that the underlining cause of this patently dangerous trend is the anarchistic and undemocratic education reform of the Aregbesola government, especially the School Merger policy, that has seen many schools merged into one, even when the various structure and administrative policies in these schools have not been resolved. This policy rather than unites the students, parents and teachers has engendered division, and more importantly hardship for them. Prior to this time, violent incidents have been witnessed in schools across the state since the introduction of the merger policy. In Ede some months ago, a school vice principal was assaulted by some Islamic religious fanatics for allegedly turning away their veil-wearing wards. Also, in Osogbo, for more than a month now, ADS Grammar School, Osogbo has been closed down due to violence witnessed in the school after students were merged without adequate security and facilities. These are among other cases not reported in the media.

Added to this is the hardship students, teachers and parents are made to go through. There has been overcrowding in schools where merger has been carried out, while teachers and students do not have enough facilities to use. For instance, students have been facing serious transportation problem since the merger policy. A visit to such school as Islaudeen Grammar School, Osogbo will reveal the hardship pupils are made to go through, in search of transportation. In this kind of situation, no meaningful knowledge impartation can take place. Meanwhile, the main excuse of the government for merging the schools, that is, building of mega-schools, have not materialized as less than 30 (thirty) so-called mega-schools have been constructed to replace hundreds of public schools already demolished and merged.

Worse still, parents, teachers and pupils who will be affected by this policy, were neglected and alienated. The question of how to run schools without promoting religious intolerance, and ensuring the security of lives of students were not discussed with those to be affected, as the so-called education summit convoked by the government some three years ago was only populated by imported stakeholders from Europe, North America and other parts of the country. This has given various religious interests opportunity to lash on the merger policy to promote their interests. While some Christian groups have been using the crises of merger policy to call for the return of public schools to private religious missionaries – a retrogressive and reactionary demand the SPN is staunchly against – some Islamic groups have also been using the crises to promote their narrow group interests, some with sycophantic connotations. Meanwhile, students and their parents continue to be at the receiving end. While we in the SPN condemn attempt to turn our public schools to places of promoting religious demagogy and intolerance, we place the blame of this squarely at the doorstep of the Aregbesola government, whose policy engenders this in the first place.

While we in the SPN are not against genuine reform in the education sector that will mean total refurbishing of schools and expansion of facilities, we are however against an anarchistic reform that only ensure piecemeal improvement, while engendering new crises. To us in the SPN, what public schools need is not some dozens of mega-schools in replacement for hundreds of public schools. This amounts to denying students opportunities to functional education. A genuine education reform will mean massive improvement and refurbishing of all schools and building of new ones with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, sport facilities, ICT facilities, etc. It will also mean employment of thousands of teachers and other education workers and constant retraining. It will also mean better working conditions for teaching and non-teaching staff, including improved salaries.

More than this, genuine education reform will be democratically developed by the people themselves. This will mean convocation of a genuine democratic education summit of teachers, pupils, parents, education workers, communities, government representatives, etc. Through this, the running of schools will involve democratic involvement of these stakeholders. It is only through this that genuine education reform can be carried out.

Consequently, we in the SPN, while condemning what happened in Baptist High School, Iwo, call for the reversal of the merger policy and demand immediate convocation of genuine education summit that will include representatives of education workers’ unions, students’ unions, parents’ associations, community and civil society groups, and government’s representatives. We also demand government’s immediate commitment to expansion of schools and improvement in facilities across all schools in the state.

Signed


Alfred Adegoke                                                                            Kola Ibrahim
State Chairman                                                                           State Secretary