Urgent Financial Appeal
The year is coming to an end but the need to continue to struggle to defend the interest of the working masses and promote our alternative socialist ideas and programme has kept intensifying. While the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) – the Nigerian section of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI) – appreciates the increasing financial responsibility that comes with an end of the year, we have no choice but reach out to you for financial support for activities that are beyond our control. They are as follows:
1. December 5 Abbey’s matter at Magistrate Court
You recall that following the intervention of Abbey Trotsky and the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) – campaign platform of the DSM – in the struggle of the casual workers of Sumal Foods Limited, Ibadan, for better pays and conditions, Abbey has been facing persecution from the police at the behest of Sumal management. After a series of arrests and detention by the Police and DSS, he currently faces trumped-up criminal and civil charges at both the Magistrate Court and industrial court in Ibadan, Oyo State. The next adjournment date of the matter which has suffered at least three adjournments at the instance of the Police is December 5, 2019.
While Comrade Olumide-Fusika (SAN) and Citipoint Chambers have been as usual rendering free legal service on the case, we usually mobilise comrades from Lagos, Osun and Oyo for political activities at every court day. You would agree we need both legal and political struggles not only win the case but also to make the necessary political points about this case. We urgently need the sum of N60, 000 ( 170 USD) for the intervention on Dec 5, 2019.
2. December 12 INEC Verification Exercise
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) has received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicating that they are coming to the SPN’s national office in Abuja on December 12, 2019 for a new verification exercise. They asked the SPN to bring ALL its the NEC members to Abuja as well as its membership and financial records. We strongly suspect that this new verification is a sinister plot by the INEC to find new excuses to deregister the SPN especially given the outcry that has greeted INEC’s initial resolve to deregister all political parties that did not win a seat at the 2019 general elections. As a result, we need all the resources we can muster to ensure the presence of key leaders of the Party and other documents requested at the verification in Abuja on December 12. For travels of NEC members from Lagos and Northern part we will need about N150, 000.
3. Urgent need to replace a stolen Laptop
Chinedu Bosah, an FT and NEC member of the DSM, had hisbag, which contained his laptop computer and other valuables, snatched by a robber on motorbike on his way home on Tuesday November 19, 2019 around 10pm after the weekly NEC meeting of the DSM.
Chinedu, who doubles as the National Secretary of the SPN and Publicity Secretary of the CDWR, is very key to the work of the DSM especially on SPN and the intervention in struggles of workers and the poor masses in workplaces and communities as well as general labour matters. Therefore, the loss of his laptop is a serious setback for us as an organization. To get a new laptop for him we would need about N120, 000 (340 USD).
Thus, by and large, we urgently need about N330, 000 which cover the costs of the above listed activities and items. Therefore, we appeal for your donation to this special struggle fund.
Kindly pay your donation into DSM account with the following details:
Fortress Books Nigeria
1012616511
Zenith Bank
Thank you
Comradely
Pelad
For DSM