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VOTE LANRE AROGUNDADE

In May, 1999, the Nigerian civilian elite politicians took power from their military counterparts after fifteen years of struggle by the Nigerian working masses against military dictatorship. There was high hope by the masses that civil rule would bring an end to mass poverty, worsening living conditions, mass unemployment, suppression of democratic rights, massive corruption, and insecurity of lives and property which characterised military rule.

Four years after, the high expectations of millions of Nigerians for real positive change in their lives have been dashed by the politicians of PDP, AD, ANPP and other elite politicians in the other capitalist parties. Not only has there been no substantial improvement in the lives of the working masses, in some respect the situation has become worse. Tens of millions of Nigerians still live without access to good food, housing, roads, water, electricity, education and healthcare. Thousands of workers have been retrenched from their jobs. Despite Nigeria’s abundant wealth, 89 million Nigerians out of a population of about 120 million are too poor to afford the basic standard of living of good shelter, nutritious food and good quality education.

The anti-poor policies of privatisation of public assets, commercialisation of education, health, housing and other social services, and retrenchment of workers have made more and more Nigerians poorer and the rich minority richer. Inspite of Obasanjo’s so-called anti-corruption crusade, corruption among the elite has not only survived, it has become more sophisticated. Political office holders earn millions of naira in salaries, allowances and privileges while workers and pensioners get poverty wages which are not even paid as and when due. Nigeria has become one of the most unequal societies in the world, with the richest 20% of Nigerians getting 55.7% of the country’s total income while the poorest 20% are left to struggle for just 4.4%.

The task of reversing the above trend requires a mass oriented programme whose ultimate purpose is to uplift the living and working standards of the working people, the studying conditions of the students and to create equal opportunities and access to social services and public utilities for the able and disabled as well as the majority and the minority groups.

This is the kind of programme being offered by the National Conscience Party (NCP), a political party led by Chief Gani Fawehinmi and dedicated to the task of abolishing poverty, unequal opportunities and corruption in the Nigerian society. The NCP is a platform for change seeking individuals who are genuinely worried that the working masses suffer untold hardship in the midst of abundant natural and human resources.

Lanre Arogundade is committed to the implementation of the NCP’s Ten-Care programme. The Ten-Care programme is made up of the following components:

1. Employment care

2. Food care

3. Health care

4. Housing care

5. Education care

6. Water care

7. Electricity care

8. Transportation care

9. Telecommunications care

10. Security care

 

Lanre Arogundade believes that the solution to the problems facing the Nigerian society can only be found through the democratic participation of various strata of the society, particularly the teeming millions of the working masses, in the management of the affairs of society and the taking of decisions on issues which affect their lives.

Thus, towards the actualisation of the NCP’s Ten-Care programme, Lanre Arogundade will work with trade unions, students unions, market traders’ associations, community associations, women and youth groups and other mass organisations and professionals groups.

Nigeria is endowed with huge natural and human resources capable of guaranteeing adequate food, decent housing, and full employment with living wages, affordable and good quality education and healthcare for all. Why then are most Nigerians, particularly the working masses poor and are getting poorer? The main reason is that the economic wealth and resources of society are in the hands of a minority class of the rich few. Government and company policies and decisions are based on satisfying the profit motive of this class rather than provision of the basic needs of workers, peasant farmers, students, traders, artisans, professionals and the masses in general.

The mass sack of workers, the decay in the health and educational systems, the escalating costs of food and transportation, the neglect of the rural farming and peasant poor as well as the collapse of public infrastructure only reflect a basic fact: that the wealth produced by the working class majority is appropriated for personal use by the corrupt ruling capitalist class (the club of millionaires).

To reverse this trend and ensure that enough resources are available to implement the NCP Ten-Care programme and provide for the real needs of the overwhelming majority of the populace, Lanre Arogundade will stand for the public ownership of the key sectors of the economy and their democratic control and management by elected representatives of the working people.

Lanre will also stand for:

* Opposition to the privatisation and commercialisation of public utilities such as NNPC, NEPA, NPA, NITEL, and support for the re-nationalisation of those already privatised but with democratic management by workers, trade unions and consumers.

* Cancellation of Nigeria’s foreign debt which is due to the ruling class looting and mismanagement and imperialism’s usurious interest rates.

A massive public works programme to build roads, houses, railways, schools and hospitals, and to generate employment.

 

An NCP workers’ and poor peasants government based on a democratic, socialist programme.

 

If elected, he will work to build a mass movement of workers, the youth and the rural and urban poor to realise the Ten-Care programme should there be any opposition to it by the capitalist ruling classs and imperialism.

As a representative of the working people and a socialist, Lanre Arogundade will use his position in the Senate to always fight for the interests and rights of the masses. Thus he will:

• Support the campaign for the reinstatement of dismissed workers who wish to return to work and payment of benefits to those wishing to voluntarily retire, and the reinstatement of victimised labour and students’ union leaders.

• Oppose the retrenchment of workers which are usually done in order to create more profit for the employers of labour.

• Support the right of the rank and file police and soldiers to form and belong to trade unions of their choice.

• Support full democratisation of the trade unions; for a mass involvement of the workers in the democratic management of their own affairs.

• Support the campaign for the abrogation of undemocratic and discriminatory laws such as those that discriminate against women, labour, the press etc.

• Support the campaign of the unions in the education sector such as ASUU, ASUP, COEASU and NANS etc for general educational reforms, increased funding and against commercialisation of education.

• Support the full democratisation of the political process up to and including the right of civil servants to contest elections while still retaining their jobs but granted leave of absence where necessary and the right of individuals to stand as independent candidates.

• Support the struggles of the international working class movement against global capitalist exploitation of workers and the rural poor, and destruction of the environment by multinational corporations.

• Support the convocation of a democratically-elected Sovereign National Conference (SNC) comprising elected representatives of social groups such as workers, peasant farmers, traders, rank and file of the armed forces and police, professionals and ethnic nationalities according to their numerical strength to deliberate and decide on the democratic way forward for the country and draw up a new constitution.

The elite politicians earn fabulous salaries and their incomes and lifestyle make them totally different from the masses whose interests they are supposed to represent, Lanre Arogundade will campaign that all public officials be placed on the salaries of an average civil servant. If however the corrupt elite politicians in the Senate are in majority and such proposal is not implemented, as a striking example Lanre Arogundade will only take the salary of a civil servant if elected into the Senate. The rest of his income he will donate publicly to support the struggles and organisations of the working class and youth. In this way, he will show that he is not a corrupt politician or treasury looter but a genuine representative of the downtrodden masses.

Lanre Arogundade is a journalist, trade union activist, pro-democracy campaigner, a socialist and former student leader. He is a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). He led the nationwide campaign including lecture boycott which the NANS organised in 1984 against the plan of the Buhari-Idiagbon military junta to commercialise education. Between 1995 and 1999, he was the chairman of the Lagos State branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). An outstanding activist and fighter for the masses for almost twenty years, he was a founding member of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), and is a founding member of the National Conscience Party (NCP) and Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM).

Be part of the movement for real change in the Nigerian society. Join and vote for NCP and support the campaign for the election of Lanre Arogundade as Senator for Lagos West.

For information on how you can be involved in the campaign and/or the struggle to create a better society, contact Lanre at 162, Ipaja Road, Agbotikuyo Bus Stop, Agege, Lagos.

Telephone 08023186845

Email: lanrecampaign@yahoo.co.uk.