Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

Full Text on one webpage: This pamphlet was originally written by Segun Sango, the General Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), barely 100 days in power of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and then discussed within DSM. Yar’Adua was declared President by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in April 2007 general elections which were marred by unprecedented massive rigging,

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER ONE HOPE TRIUMPHING OVER EXPERIENCE Within a few weeks of President Yar’Adua coming into office, there was a widespread belief that somehow, he was going to be “different”. Truly this is another example of hope triumphing over experience. In the real scientific term, President Yar’Adua’s era is a mere continuation of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s inglorious anti-poor and incorrigibly corrupt

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER TWO JUNE 2007 GENERAL STRIKE Towards the tail end of its inglorious rule, the Obasanjo government took some decisions which many patently could see as nothing but deliberate steps taken to benefit cronies and inflict further hardship on the already over-burdened masses. Issues in this regard include the hike of fuel prices, the cheap sales of Kaduna and Port-Harcourt

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER THREE RULE OF LAW This is one issue on which many bourgeois writers/cheer leaders have been praising President Yar’Adua to a high heaven. And here, many examples of President Yar’Adua’s “commitment” to rule of law as opposed to President Obasanjo’s supposedly militaristic presidency are readily recited for all those that care to listen. Few days after Yar’Adua assumed office,

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER FOUR THE SEVEN POINT AGENDA In order to give the impression of a serious minded administration, President Yar’Adua has come up with what is known as the seven point agenda for the country. This includes energy, security of lives and properties, land reforms, human capital development, wealth creation, poverty alleviation, transportation and infrastructural development. According to official propaganda, the

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER FIVE THE NIGER DELTA Arguably, the crisis in the Niger Delta constitutes the greatest threat to the self-serving rule of the capitalist elite nationally and the interest of imperialism internationally. As of today, the region, through revenues from crude oil, accounts for 95% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. However, due to the combination of a skewed political arrangement left

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER SIX THE OPPOSITION Sadly to note, there does not exist presently any viable opposition nor alternative being proffered by the entire labour movement to the well tried but failed perspective being offered by the Yar’Adua government. Scientifically speaking, there is, in fact, no any opposition being mounted against the policy options being presented by the Yar’Adua government. Of course,

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER SEVEN THE WAY FORWARD As we in the DSM often argue, none of the basic problems confronting the working masses across Nigeria and in the Niger Delta region can be resolved on the basis of the prevailing unjust neo-colonial capitalist arrangement. One, the self-serving profit interest of the main imperialist countries of the USA, Japan, Europe and now China,

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

CHAPTER EIGHT THE IMMEDIATE PERIOD AHEAD The prospect for the economic well-being of the vast majority of the working masses and poor, under President Yar’Adua looks very bleak and worrisome, especially within the framework of the neo-liberal economic philosophy being championed by his government. As we have repeatedly underlined in several of DSM publications, the past 8 years or so

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

APPENDIX POLITICAL ORIENTAITON FOR LABOUR IN THE POST 2007 GENERAL ELECTIONS Nigeria’s 2007 general election has been roundly and justifiably condemned as the most farcical exercise ever conducted in Nigeria and internationally in the name of elections. The entire exercise was dominated by brazen, large scale financial and electoral manipulation by the ruling parties across the country. Such was the

By - DSM

President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?

INTRODUCTION This pamphlet was originally written by Segun Sango, the General Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), barely 100 days in power of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and then discussed within DSM. Yar’Adua was declared President by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in April 2007 general elections which were marred by unprecedented massive rigging, manipulation, brazen stealing of