By Dimeji Macaulay

The Movement for A Socialist Alternative (MSA) welcomes everyone to this summit. This event will help us to discuss the way forward for Abuja natives and the similar problem facing Nigeria at large. We appreciate the organisers of this important event for setting it up at this crucial moment. It will help to sharpen ideas towards proferring solutions to the present crisis ravaging our people. The theme you have chosen for the event “Abuja Natives and the tales of Marginalisation” is also as important to re-examine the state of things and better ways our society can be organised based on equity and economic justice.

                The entire 60 years of Nigeria’s existence has been dogged by one agitation or the other from ethnic groups over issues of marginalization in the distribution of economic and political goodies, including resource control.

                In fact, without the bayonets of the Colonial police and army, Nigeria as a united country may not have survived much beyond the 1914 amalgamation. Ever since independence, repeated crises have meant that a united Nigeria has survived this far by the increasing use of State force to put down dissent. We have seen the Niger Delta fight marginalisation; agitations for Biafra and Ibo presidency in the South East; and we are here discussing similar issues confronting the Abuja indigenes of the North Central.

                We have always strongly condemned the arrest, harassment, extra-judicial killings or outright human right violation, which the past and the present governments have been committing against Abuja indigenes that are fighting for the recognition of Abuja people within the existing political structures in Abuja

                Despite always striving to build united struggles of all working people to transform Nigeria, the Movement for A Socialist Alternative (MSA) believes that the democratic right of a people to administer their local community and its resources is an inalienable right. Abuja indigenes demand their right to participate in the administration of their community; they demand infrastructures, accessible schools and healthcare; they demand not to live poor when they are surrounded by wealth. These are demands we in the MSA raise every day for every Nigerian and would raise alongside the indigenes of Abuja who are specially oppressed, for the fact that they live in neglect around intimidating wealth.

                Importantly, lasting unity is possible based on social and economic justice, and mutual respect for the rights of all nationalities and ethnic minorities. On this basis, we condemn the federal government for refusing to recognize the demands of Abuja Natives and especially for attempting to crush your agitations and protests.

                Despite our support for your cause notwithstanding, we also warn that winning piecemeal victory will not automatically lift the mass of our people out of abject poverty and deprivation, including denial of quality education, healthcare, electricity and other infrastructures.

                They are caused by the inequitable capitalist system, which enriches a few at the expense of the mass majority. This perspective can be verified from the reality that even though members of the Northern ruling elite have occupied the position of president longer than any other ethnic group, yet this has not reflected in the well-being of their people. The North as a region has one of the highest rates of poverty in the world. Destitution, polio and other preventable diseases, child and maternal mortality and out-of-school children in the country bedevil the region regrettably. Does it not negate common sense that the richest black man in the world, Aliko Dangote, is from the North – the region that holds the highest number of school-age children that are out of school in Nigeria?

                The six Area Councils in FCT-Abuja have from inception been ruled by Abuja indigene-politicians, including National Assembly members, not Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba politicians. Yet this fact has not led to any real improvement in the conditions of ordinary Abuja people.

                The reason for all these is that all of these elements, despite their different ethnicity, ruled under the same system of capitalism which knows no tribe or ethnic group. All the system knows is class, rich or poor. And regardless of our ethnic and religious diversity, class division is the only real division in society. There is a real, brutal class divide in Nigeria today. The ruling class of the rich is on one side against the working people, small farmers, traders and the poor.

                From 1960 till now, only the rich class have benefitted from Nigeria. The rest of us (whether we are, Gbagi, Basa, Igala. Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or Ijaw) have continued to wallow in poverty and misery while a few people become sudden billionaires by looting our commonwealth. Therefore the real cause of inequality and suffering is capitalism and it is this system of wage slavery that the entire working and poor people across the country should unite to defeat.

The recent anger over issues of poverty, unemployment, land and suffering is now channelled through ethnic and secessionist agitation is partly a result of the failure of the labour movement to rise effectively to the defence of the economic and political interests of the working people as well as provide a revolutionary way out of the crises of capitalism.

                The struggle to build Abuja for the happiness of the working people in it, instead of the big men, is a struggle against capitalism. The MSA is committed to fighting this struggle across Nigeria, if you agree with our thinking, join us in the MSA today through this Contact: 07032069383. Email: msaabuja@gmail.com