PUBLIC STATEMENT

• ASUU: Union extend strike eight weeks as Government is yet to implement the agreement
• National Grid Collapse and the nation is in total darkness: For the renationalization of the power sector under workers management and control!
• The inflation rate increased by 15.7% as the cost of Diesel, fuel and gas skyrocketed
• For a total review of the N52, 000 minimum wage periodically to catch up with inflation.
• Workers must get organised to build a politically independent people’s alternative party!

While Mr President Buhari is in London for a medical checkup for the next two weeks, the First Lady in Dubai and governors are visiting the President in London one after the other, the masses of the Nigerian people are left in the most difficult time of survival under this economic hardship of the Buhari’s seven years in power.

The president according to media reports stated its spokesperson Garba Shehu apologised to Nigerians over the continued petrol scarcity and power outage in the country. While this is not the only challenge been faced by the working masses. The scarcity of petrol and the high cost of diesel has made survival very challenging for the people in the past few weeks in the country.

The Buhari government knowing fully well of their failure in governance, decided to appease the people by giving apologies on behalf of their unproductive regime. Nigerians and the Labour unions should reject this apology and demand better living conditions and an upward review of the N52, 000 minimum wage so to catch up with the rise of inflation periodically.

The country has been abandoned by the unproductive ruling elites both in the ruling APC and the PDP who are only interested in how they will consolidate themselves in government by using public resources to better their lives while millions are dying in abject poverty. As all major sectors of the country such as energy, education and the economy are incomplete degeneration. The APC government (Federal, State and Local Government level are in a tussle among themselves on how to install their cronies in the leadership of the party as well as the PDP as the 2023 General Elections get nearer.

On the other hand, it is on the battle for zoning and who becomes the party’s flag bearer for the next presidential election. However, the working masses should not be deceived by this hotdog politics of the ruling elites and jubilate over it. Rather, we should see it as an opportunity of building a political party of ours that will be used to mobilize, organize and defend our interests as oppressed people. Ultimately, for a socialist planned society.

We in the Movement for A Socialist Alternative (MSA) condemn the careless attitude of the Buhari-APC led government over the challenges faced by the working masses of this country. We are using this opportunity to call on the Nigerian masses to resist all the attacks on the Nigerian people caused by the neo-liberal policies of the ruling APC government and their capitalist-imperialist friends internationally and locally.

The Buhari led regime handling of the economy has further crumpled the economy and life of the people. With the high cost of food commodities, the collapse of the national grid putting the country in total darkness, and the neglect of the education sector; there is nothing positive from the capitalist regime of the APC (and that of PDP if it shall win the 2023 presidential election). The sixteen years rule of the PDP and the seven years of the APC is enough evidence to show that neoliberal policies of privatization, deregulation and commercialization of the economy will further squander the country into total collapse as we are currently witnessing.   

Despite the warning strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) over the non-implementation of the agreement, the government reached with the union less than a year ago. Up till this moment, the government is still unconcerned about meeting the demands of the academic workers in other for public universities to be reopened.

The 2 million Nigerian students in all public universities across the country, who are eager to acquire qualitative education that must be equipped with functional laboratory facilities as again from this strike are left with hope dashed as the unproductive elites show “I don’t care” attitude for developing the education sector.

We believe that if the demands of the union are met, there will be a huge improvement in public education but this government won’t accept it. They will rather collapse it for their private universities to thrive. Students, Lecturers, non-teaching staff, and Nigerian workers will have to organize and resist education underfunding from these thieving political elites and capitalist politicians.

The current collapse of the National Grid which has resulted in the total blackout in the country as reported by the media, “multiple collapses” shows how unserious the government runs the economy. Since the power sector was privatised on November 1 2013, the people have witnessed drops in power generation to about 2000megawatts, sometimes, zero megawatts, as we currently have it now. This is in addition to the continuous blackouts, the collapse of the National grid, and tariff increases astronomically.

During the handing over the power industry to the private corporations and businessmen about 9 years ago, the then Minister for Power Prof Nebo said “the decision to privatize the industry … to get the critical mass of private investment and expertise to resuscitate the comatose power sector.”  

The private investors have shown that the profit motive is more prominent to them than improving the sector. At this junction, we are calling on the Labour unions to demand the re-nationalization of the power industry and it must be placed under the democratic management and control of the Nigerian masses. As inflation rates sour higher in the country, the cost of commodities keeps rising and worsening the economic life of the working people.

The Buhari government is anti-people and do not care about the plight of the over 200 million working Nigerian masses. The cost of diesel, fuel and gas has gone out of the reach of ordinary people. It is unimaginable that a country blessed with abundant crude resources will have the majority of its population buying petrol at an expensive price because the government is refusing to build state refineries to refine the product here.

This is because the capitalist politicians and their independent markers and oil barons are raking billions of naira from the importation of petrol into the country. On the other hand, the government continue in its agenda of protecting private capital through the policies of deregulation and privatization. The artificial scarcity of petrol and the epileptic power supply is forcing thousand of homes and petty traders to be unable to afford the petrol to power their generators or businesses in the absence of a regular power supply. The airline operators have threatened to shut down operations due to the high cost of aviation fuel likewise many other small-scale businesses. 
     
LABOUR MUST MOBILIZE, ORGANIZE, AND ACT NOW TO BUILD A POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE

The current ruling elites are not interested to develop any sector of the country. They are only interested to loot the country through kickbacks contracts as they have continued to do, how and when the country got independent, 60 years ago. It is with this background of the failed policies of the APC and its “mantra of change” philosophy, the Movement for A Socialist Alternative calls on the working people and workers in the labour unions to mobilize, organize, and act now to build a political alternative against the system of capitalism.

With more than a year left for the end of the Buhari regime, it seems the government has already abandoned the people for their political gains. All section of the ruling elites is only interested in who succeeded the Buhari government or how they are ready to contest for positions in the various states. To leave the economy in the hands of these unproductive ruling elites, now and after 2023, is to continue witnessing economic hardship and increased poverty.

In reality, the high cost of foodstuff and other valuable commodities are confirming the failure of the regime and the moribund STATE OF THE NATION under the Buhari government that has added to more people suffering, unemployment rising and all forms of economic hardship contributing to what people are passing through psychologically.

It is time the leadership of NLC and TUC must come out with a joint statement against what is going on. Not only that, but it is also to commence the process of mobilising the rank and file workers in building a political alternative. Working people must build independent political alternatives that will be used to challenge the policies of the government. More importantly, use such a political platform of working people-oriented to build consciousness among itself as an oppressed class. Above all, organize with a socialist programme to replace the system of capitalism.

If you agree with MSA, contact us and let’s build together.

SIGNED

Aj. Dagga Tolar
General Secretary,
Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA)