LAGOS SOCIALIST SCHOOL

Nigeria’s Socio-political Problem: Proffering a Socialist Alternative

By Fidel Davynovic

DSM Ajegunle Branch

DSM comrades in Lagos met on Saturday, February 16, for a socialist school with the theme: “Nigeria’s Socio-political Problem: Proffering a Socialist Alternative”. Dagga Tolar led the discussion in analyzing the crisis the working people are going through from one sector to another. The attacks working class people are subjected to were linked with the looting and high-level corruption. One example that readily comes to mind is the latest Pension scam.

Perhaps, there is no other country in which capitalism manifests its failure more than Nigeria. It is a classic example of mass suffering in midst of huge human and material resources. One percent of the thieving capitalist elite amass 80 percent of Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth. The country is the sixth exporter of crude oil in the world but ranks among the least in the human development index. Nigeria ruling class has looted a whopping sum of about $400billion of oil proceeds since 1960. The massive looting, the failure to develop and the implementation of capitalist neo-liberal policies are responsible for the unemployment rate that is officially put at 39%.

From the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) to the Private Public Partnership (PPP), all the economic programs are just an avenue for the privileged rich to fleece public wealth at gross expense of working people. All the so-called reform programs of the successive governments have only succeeded in worsening the situation. Take for instance, despite committing billions of naira into the Amnesty Program and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Niger Delta region is still bedeviled with massive poverty and lack of basic infrastructure.

The sectarian violence in the Northern part of Nigeria especially the activities of Boko Haram is an offshoot of the destabilizing effect of capitalism. While condemning the right wing violence of the Boko Haram members and other terrorist organisations, we in DSM hold that it is only a working class approach that can checkmate the menace and reconstruct society.

Capitalism has repeatedly gone through boom and bust. One of the major crises capitalism has gone through was the great depression of 1930s. The recession capitalism is currently going through, which started in 2008, has affected the working conditions of the working class across the world. Working people are forced to pay for the crisis through massive loss of jobs and other forms of austerity measures. But the working class people are fighting back through general strikes and mass demonstrations. For instance, several general strikes have taken place in Greece and other European countries. Not also forgetting the massive 6 days general strikes and mass demonstration in January 2012 where the Nigerian working class showed readiness and capacity to fight back.

As 2015 approaches, there is no hope that the working people will get political representation because no political party, not even the Labour Party with its right wing leadership represents their interest. It explains why the DSM is in the process of registering and building the SPN as a party for the working people.

In all interventions and actions of the DSM, comrades should always raise slogans and implore tactics and strategies that are in consonance with the present state of consciousness of the working people while also linking it to the socialist alternative. This is the only way the consciousness of the masses can be uplifted.

SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA (SPN)

Chinedu Bosah introduced SPN vis-a-vis the efforts and steps carried out so far and the challenges confront the process of getting party registered. For SPN to be registered, two of major obstacles that have to be surmounted are (1) having a national office in Abuja, (2) composition of leadership to reflect 2/3 of the federation and Abuja. We shall explore during the next nine months to meet the requirements and submit application to INEC.

Segun Sango, General Secretary of DSM, threw more light on the reason DSM has come to the conclusion of forming the SPN. The economic crisis confronting the working masses can only be resolved on the lasting basis through socialist policies and programs. The problem confronting the working people is the absence of not just the leadership but also a working class political party. The failure of Labour Party and the absence of mass working peoples’ party leave the DSM with no choice other than to form and build the SPN. Without the working people coming to power and democratic management and control of the commanding heights of the economy by the working class, the economic crisis obviously will continue.

One of the highlights of the Socialist School attended by 32 comrades and visitors was the presence of 6 new workers and 3 new students who were attending any DSM program for the first time. Workers and students participating at DSM activities for the first time were called upon to fully join and become active in the DSM through different branches existing in Lagos. A fighting fund of N4,040 was collected