Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) |
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For struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria |
Committee for a Workers' International DSM, PO Box 2225, Agege, Lagos Come to DSM secretariat at 162, Ipaja Road, Agbotikuyo Bus-stop, Agege, Lagos Call our national office on (01) 8046603 |
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DSM NewsDSM news click here June 1, 2006 AFTER THE DEFEAT OF "THIRD TERM" AGENDA: WHERE DO THE MASSES GO?On Wednesday May 16, 2006, the senate arm of the National Assembly threw out, in its entirety, a bill seeking 116 amendments/alterations to the military imposed 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. The most topical and controversial clause of the proposed alterations sought a three-term maximum of 4 years each for the President and the Governors as opposed to a two-term of 4 years each prescribed by the 1999 Constitution. If this bill had sailed through, President Olusegun Obasanjo, and many of the incumbent state governors across the country, would have been given constitutional pretext to remain in power beyond May 2007 to continue to perpetuate their essentially anti-poor, corrupt rule. May 10, 2006 MAY DAY 2006 in NigeriaINTRODUCTIONLike their counterparts internationally, Nigerian workers, organised in three different federations of trade unions, NLC, TUC and CFTU, marked this year International Workers' Day, otherwise known as May Day. Rallies were held in all the state capitals and Abuja. NLC and CFTU held a joint central rally in Abuja while TUC did its own in Lagos. May 3, 2006 May Day:Workers Rescue DSM Members from PoliceSupport the Call for a Mass Working Peoples PartyThe major highlight of this year May Day event in Abuja, where the central rally of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Congress of Free Trade Unions (CFTU) took place, was the heroic display of workers who foiled the arrest of Demola Yaya (Demo) and Eko John Nicholas (two leading members of Democratic Socialist Movement) by the police. Workers in their hundreds physically swarmed on the police when they were taking the comrades away from the venue and wrested the comrades from their grip. Reports from BamakoLanre Arogundade, a leading member of the DSM and a well known Nigerian journalist, participated in the polycentric World Social Forum which took place in Bamako, Mali in January and also reported on it for various news media. We reprint below two of his reports
January 21, 2006 Globalisation and Agriculture: Every one suffersBY LANRE AROGUNDADEThe negative effect of globalisation on Agriculture and food production is not limited to the countries of the South but extends to the Northern hemisphere as well. This fact is emerging as discussions get underway at the Bamako, Mali, Polycentric world social forum. January 20, 2006 Trade Unionists adopt measures to combat privatisationBy Lanre Arogundade��Essential services should not be subjected to the logic of profit�� This was the consensus yesterday of a panel trade unionists and activists that examined the role of the trade unions in the struggle against privatisation at the on-going Mali social forum. November 9, 2005 NIGERIA RAPIDLY DESCENDS INTO AN ABYSS: ONLY ASOCIALIST CHANGE CAN SAVE THE MASSESBetween 22 and 23 October 2005, we members of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), Nigerian section of the Committee for a Workers� International (CWI), debated and discussed extensively in our 16th National Congress, socio-economic problems confronting the poor working masses in Nigeria and proffered a way out of these crises. October 1st, 2005 DSM leafletPRONACO�S HISTORIC CONFERENCEA SOCIALIST APPRAISALThe DSM wholeheartedly welcomes the initiative of PRONACO leaders to hold this historic conference. Since Nigeria was undemocratically created by British imperialism in 1914, this will be the first time that a non-governmental conference of this nature is being held or allowed to hold to discuss/determine the key issues surrounding the existence of Nigeria as a corporate entity. However, going by the composition of PRONACO's membership and leadership, its socio-political outlook and modus operandi, we regret to assert, very little will come out of this confab either politically or materially to better the lots of the suffering masses across the country and especially those of the minority nationalities in the oil producing Niger Delta region. September 17, 2005 NLC/LASCO anti-fuel hike ralliesA ROARING SUPPORT FOR REGIME CHANGE IN BENINLike in Lagos, the turn out was massive, shops were closed in all the routes of the processions, traffic was extremely low. The march began at about 8 am from the University of Benin Gate area, with a large crowd of students, youths and workers, led by the NLC president, Adams Oshiomhole, gathering more and more crowd of workers and traders as the procession protest\rally moved through Lagos Road, through New Benin and all other major streets of Benin. Thousands of supporters lined the streets and residential areas to vent their anger against the government, applauded the initiative of the labour leaders in organising and leading the protest as well as urged them for further action. September 15, 2005 Lagos rally against fuel rise hikeMASS TURN-OUT SHOWS WILLINGNESS TO STRUGGLESOCIALIST CALL FOR ACTION GETS GOOD RESPONSE
The massive turn-out by Nigerians in their hundreds of thousands to a rally called by Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) against the incessant increase in the fuel price and other neo-liberal, anti-poor polices of the Obasanjo led PDP government on Wednesday, 14 September, 2005 is another testimony to the fact that Nigerian poor working people are ever prepared to struggle for a change. What has been holding them back is leadership. With a correct labour leadership and focus, the poor working masses have resolved to kick-out the pro-rich and anti-poor Obasanjo�s regime as nothing positive, as long as this regime and its anti-poor policies hold sway, can come to the masses way. September 14, 2005 Special issue Socialist DemocracyNLC/LASCO protests:Fuel price hike, chase out Obasanjo regimeThe current hike of fuel price is totally unjustifiable. According to the government, petroleum products are being subsidised by $4.5 million a day. However, when this so-called subsidy is compared with what income is daily generated from oil sales, then, the absolute anti-poor character of the Obasanjo capitalist government becomes totally indisputable. August 23, 2005 PRESS STATEMENT
COMPOSITION OF NPA BOARD: OBASANJO VERSUS ALI
According to The Punch of 23, 2005, President Olusegun Obasanjo, through the secretary to the government of the federation, Chief Ufot Ekaete, has suspended the inauguration of the recently nominated and approved Board members of Nigerian Ports Authority. According to government�s statement "The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has directed that the recent announcement of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority should be suspended pending the conclusion of the ongoing Ports Reform Concessioning exercise. Any inconvenience caused is regretted". August 10 2005 This article was published in the Lagos daily newspaper, the Vanguard, on August 10, 2005.
$18 billion debt pardon: Second slavery in disguiseSegun SangoPosted to the Web: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 Recently, the Paris Club announced a "debt treatment" for Nigeria. Subject to Nigeria�s ability to fulfil certain stipulated conditions, the club has promised to write-off about $18bn of the $31bn owed by Nigeria to the club. Without taking an honest appraisal of the conditionalities stipulated by the Paris Club before the promised debt write-off can be effected, government spokespersons across the country have been heaping praises on President Olusegun Obasanjo�s government for having secured a wonderful debt reprieve. July 14, 2005 Round Table Conference:DEBT RELIEF: A REALITY OR DECEITTo those who made the Round Table Conference on the so-called debt relief granted Nigeria by the Paris Club, organised on July 14 by DSM in conjunction with the Lagos State NCP, ERC and CDWR, the programme was a timely rescue mission from the bondage of the orchestrated misinformation from government�s propaganda mills. June 11, 2005 Report of first Rotimi Ewebiyi Memorial Symposium, Lagos, June 11, 2005Nigeria�s Unrelenting Socio-economic Crises � Is a Working Class Alternative Possible?Despite the heavy downpour in Lagos state on June 11 which virtually paralyzed traffic movement due to lack of functional drainage system and which made it impossible for most of the invited guests and comrades to attend the programme, the first anniversary of Rotimi Ewebiyi (RE) Memorial Symposium was a huge success. May 19, 2005 Democratic Socialist Movement Press Statement:OAU: ONE CLOSURE, TOO MANY! REOPEN OAU NOW!We of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), OAU branch, hereby condemn the unwholesome indefinite postponement of the resumption for the rain semester of the 2003/2004 session by the management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. To us, the repeated closure of the university is becoming too much to bear for students whose stay has been unnecessarily extended, for the fourth time in the past three sessions such that extension of resumption is almost becoming a norm in the university. May 19, 2005 MAY DAY 2005Socialists get good reception while Labour leaders offer no lead
2005 May Day was celebrated by the three federated union centres, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Congress of Free Trade Unions (CFTU). The NLC, the main workers� trade union centre, is the federation of low paid workers, TUC is the union of the senior staff from both public and private sectors while CFTU is a break away faction of the TUC.
April 7, 2005 DSM Press ReleaseHIKE IN PETROL PRICE:NLC AND OTHER WORKERS MOVEMENTS MUST TAKE DECISIVE MASS ACTIONS NOW!The first post-Labour Act hike in petrol price recently and secretly effected by the Federal Government is a call to action and another test of the political will of working class movement in Nigeria to resist the tyranny of Obasanjo�s anti-poor dictatorship. 1 April 2005 OBASANJO�S ANTI-LABOUR LAW:OSHIOMHOLE AND OTHERS SHOULD QUIT OBASANJO�S CONFAB NOWIf there is still any doubt on the anti-people intention of the Obasanjo government in the pursuit of neo-liberal policies or its disrespect for democratic rights of workers, the new trade union law just promulgated should have removed such. The law is undemocratic, anti-worker, anti-people, vindictive and draconian. We of the Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM, condemn the reprehensible law and call on the all the labour centres, NLC, TUC and CFTU to set up processes and actions to defeat this anti-worker, anti-people law. 31 March 2005 N55M BRIBERY SCAM:A New Dawn of Anti-Corruption Crusade or Another Round of Business As Usual?
On 22 March, 2005, President Olusegun Obasanjo in a surprise nationwide broadcast accused some top government officials of corruption. He specifically cited Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and Minister of Education, Prof. Fabian Osuji involvement in a N55m bribery. Others cited in connection with this alleged scam are senators Ibrahim Abdullaziz, Chris Adighije, John Azuta Mbata, Emmanuel Okpede and Badamasi Maccido, honourables Gabriel Suswan, the chairman of House of Representatives committee on appropriation, Shehu Matazu, the chairman of House committee on education, Osita Izunaso, Prof. Peter Okebukola, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Jude Njoku, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, FUT Owerri. For a good measure, the president informed the nation that all the indicted persons will be prosecuted. 29 March 2005 Campaign for Democratic and Workers� Rights in NigeriaVICTIMISED FLOUR MILLS, LAGOS, WORKERSAN APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITYSome workers of Flour Mills Nigeria PLC, one of the leading agro-allied companies in Nigeria, have been victimised by this company while fighting for improved working conditions and the compensation for a co-worker who died while working at the company on Wednesday 9th March 2005. While bagging fertilizer (which is his share of work) he started coughing and vomiting blood, he was rushed to a nearby clinic where he died. 28th March, 2005 Ireland: "My ordeal in Nigeria"Kunle�s statement to Lagos press conferenceAfter a short, but very high profile campaign, the Irish government was forced to reverse the brutal deportation of Elukanlo Olukunle (Kunle), a refugee from Nigeria who is now a secondary school student in Ireland. Kunle was deported in his school uniform and flown to Lagos where he was simply dumped. Immediately his fellow school students began a campaign to bring him back that was taken up by Joe Higgins, a member of the Irish parliament for the Socialist Party, the Irish affiliate of the Committee for a Workers� International of which the DSM is the Nigerian affiliate. Following the Irish Justice Minister�s decision to allow him back into Ireland Elukanlo Olukunle spoke at a press conference in Lagos on 25 March. 8 March, 2005 Democratic Socialist Movement statementOBASANJO�S NATIONAL CONFAB � A JOURNEY WITHOUT DESTINATIONFor a host of reasons, the on-going national political reform conference represents the most topical political development of the day. Minus feeble and incoherent opposition by a few members of the capitalist class across the country, the overwhelming majority of the capitalist class appeared, for once, to be united over this major political development.
8 February, 2005 Democratic Socialist Movement statementOBASANJO'S NATIONAL DIALOGUE: LABOUR SHOULD REJECT THIS FARCE* Labour And All Mass Organisations Should Not In Anyway Support This Obvious Farce We in the DSM were seriously disappointed to hear the decision of the NLC Central Working Committee to participate in the entirely handpicked so-called National Political Reform Conference being organised by the unrepentant anti-poor, pro-rich capitalist government headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
25 January 2005 Obasanjo's "National Political Reform Conference":A CYNICAL AGENDA DESIGNED TO PERPETUATE MASS EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSIONTo douse and rubbish the age long clamour for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference, a demand that reflects the mass dissatisfaction with Nigeria's current state and relations between its diverse nationalities and religious groups, the Obasanjo regime has concocted a very big and expensive farce called "The National Political Reform Conference". |
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