IBADAN STAMPEDE: SPN calls for the release of detainees and adequate compensation for victims
Detention and prosecution is diversionary, government should begin to tackle the root cause of the condition of poverty with immediate reversal of its anti-people pro-capitalist policies
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) supports the growing demand for the immediate release of the individuals arrested and incarcerated in connection with the December 18 stampede that led to the death of over 35 children at a funfair organized at Islamic High School Bashorun Ibadan. However, unlike what appears to be the only concern of the public and media, we strongly hold that the demand must also include a call for adequate compensation for the relatives and families of the victims of the tragic event.
As far as we are concerned the current prosecution of the organizers of the funfair, including the principal of the school, is diversionary and tantamount to the act of scratching the surface of a problem but ignoring the root cause! As pointed out in our previous statement, the root cause of the stampede is the iniquitous capitalist system together with endemic corruption and the anti-people policies of the current and past federal and state governments. The policies like privatisation, devaluation, deregulation including commercialization of social services like education among others, individually and collectively contributed to creating the condition of the mass poverty and starvation being faced by mass of the working people across the country today.
The several media reports of how parents were throwing their children across the fence out of desperation to ensure that they had access to a plate of rice and bottle of drink promised to be given at funfair is a graphic reflection of how the mass poverty ravaging the country has been deepened under the Tinubu-led government especially following its decision to hike the price of petrol under the pretence of subsidy removal and devalue the naira. It is also important to state that these policies have always been an escape route through which successive federal and state governments abdicate their responsibility and make the working people to unfortunately be dependent on billionaires and many self-acclaimed charity organizations for services that should have been ordinarily provided by the government. Besides, many of these billionaires often got their wealth through fraudulent and underhand means.
Funfairs either for children or adults are outdoor events that include games, rides and exhibition with the purpose of providing the entertainment needed for a healthy and meaningful existence of every members of the society. It is one of the social responsibilities of the government to ensure that the facilities required for organizing it on regular and affordable basis for members of the general public are provided. Unfortunately, the Seyi Makinde-led government of Oyo State recently demolished a popular public Trans amusement park situated at Samonda area of Ibadan. This park, which was built by a previous government in the state for public use, has now been converted into private estate which is not affordable and accessible to the general public under a dubious Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The SPN condemns such a conversion of public park to a profit-first private entity.
It is in the light of this, we conclude that the government is principally responsible for the stampede having created the material condition for it. Therefore, we reiterate the call for an adequate compensation for the families of the victims of the stampede as well as the release of the organisers of the event and the principal of the school used. We call on the working masses to join us in making this demand and also to prevail on the government to immediately reverse all of the anti-poor capitalist policies responsible for the mass suffering and poverty that characterize the country today. However, it should be noted that the reversal of anti-poor policies is not going to happen without a well-drawn political struggle of the working people.
This is why the working people in the state, and also nationally, should realize that no pro-capitalist governments like Tinubu-led federal government and Makinde-led state government can be trusted when it comes to adequate protection of the overall economic and social interests of the working people. This is the basis for a consistent call by the SPN for the unity of the working people, without illusion in any of the pro-capitalist governments, towards the formation of a workers and poor government armed with socialist programme. It is only this kind of government that can ensure that the resources of the society are deployed and used to advance the overall interest of mass majority of the working people in the society. This is against the current pro-capitalist governments where the society is fundamentally run to protect the personal interest of the minority at the expense of the vast majority of the population.
Ayodeji Adigun
Oyo State SPN Secretary
E-mail: [email protected]