Month: March 2008

“We Are Victims Of Dictatorship But Remain Undaunted” – Soweto And Barry Blacky On 21st February, 2008, two of the three students’ leaders (who are members of Democratic Socialist Movement) who have been detained for over four months in Ilesha Prison were released on bail by Magistrate Jide Falola of an Osogbo Magistrate Court. The Socialist Democracy had chat with

NO TO FURTHER COMMERCIALISATION OF EDUCATION Nigerian Students Must Build Collective Resistance Against Regime Of Fees And Attacks on Education By Kola Ibrahim Those who still nurse the illusion that the Present Yar’Adua government will be different and better from its predecessors should be having a rethink as the current regime is bent on continuing the neo-liberal economic policies of

BOOK REVIEW: Yar’Adua and the Working Class: A Timely X-Ray By Lanre Arogundade Click here to read: ‘President Yar’adua’s Era: A new dawn for the masses?’ The actual title of the book under review is ‘President Yar’Adua’s Era – A new dawn for the masses?’ a 48-page document written by the Democratic Socialist Movement’s (DSM) General Secretary, Segun Sango. But

LASU: Scrap Killer Campus Marshals On Our Campus Now! By James Foluso The creation of storm troopers popularly called campus marshals on Nigerian campuses remains a major concern for students. These marshals have abandoned their responsibilities of “upholding security” to harassing and brutalizing students, especially, student activists on their demand for independent unionism to protect the living and academic rights

THE AMBIGUITY OF “HOPE”: Barack Obama Frontrunner In Democrats’ Presidential Candidature Race By Alan Jones, Socialist Alternative (CWI, US, New York The spectacular victories of Barack Obama in a series of the Democratic primaries are a reflection of several deeper processes taking place in the United States. While there is still quite a way to go until the presidential candidature

CASTRO’S RESIGNATION OPENS UP NEW CHAPTER What Are The Prospects For The Revolution? By Peter Taaffe, Socialist Party (CWI, England and Wales) The formal resignation of Fidel Castro as President of Cuba opens up a new chapter in the history of Cuba and its revolution. Since his original illness in 2006 (an intestinal problem) intense discussion has been engendered about

NMA, NARD AND THE HEALTH SECTOR CRISIS As Nigerian doctors poised for a sow down with the federal government over their remuneration and condition of service, Dr. Niran Okeowle, the General Secretary of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in this feature article traces the genesis of issues at stake and proffers the way forward. The highly engaging blog, Nigeria

DANCING ROUND THE FUEL PRICE HIKE By Adeola Soetan As the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world, the steady rise of price of crude oil in international market is expected to be an economic blessing in oil revenue, human capital and infrastructural development but the paradox is a bout of economic misery occasioned by higher prices for

SAULA MURDER: One Killing, Too Many By Demola Yaya & Sankara On January 7, 2008, Lagos commuters who were going for one business or the other were stranded for most part of the day especially in areas like Ikotun, Iyana Ipaja, Agege, Ikeja and Oshodi. Why? Members of Lagos State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had withdrawn their

ARGUING FOR A FIGHTING WORKING PEOPLES’ PARTY By Alayande Stephen T. The political equation again has brought to the fore the need for a Mass Working Peoples’ Party. More than before, the masses are suffering and are reduced to slaves in their own country, even amidst abundant and stupendous wealth. The perspective of building a campaign for a genuine Mass

Pay A Living Pension Now! Being the text of a Press Conference by CDWR on the Plight of Pensioners on January 16, 2008. The motto of Nigerian pensioners reads, “Rest is sweet after retirement”. Yes, this is a statement of fact, but for retired workers, their daily harrowing experience has proved the motto to be a mere wishful thinking. Rest

PENSIONERS MUST BE ABLE TO LIVE CDWR Hold Press Conference On The Plight of Pensioners In Nigeria By Emmanuel Adikwu On January 16, 2008, the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) held a press conference, at the International Press Centre (IPC) Ogba, Lagos, on the plight of pensioners. The statement, published below, was presented by comrade Rufus Olusesan, the

REMOVAL OF RIBADU AND WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION It is a fact that corruption is a big social problem militating against the development of the economy and the welfare of the citizens. According to a World Bank estimate, over $400billion have been looted by capitalist politicians and their contractor allies from the nation’s wealth in the past 4 decades. There is

2008 BUDGET As Usual, Not for the Ordinary Nigerian Peluola Adewale President Umaru Yar’Adua tagged the 2008 Appropriation the budget for the ordinary Nigerian. Not a few poor working masses will ask him to tell that to the marines. He informed that the budget “gives priority to, and makes ample provision for improving physical infrastructure, particularly, power and transportation, human

Workers Kick Against Privatisation of NITEL And Airports By Demola Yaya In the past few weeks, Nigerian workers and their unions have been waging some titanic struggles against privatization of some commanding sectors of the economy. Already, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN) had on February 26, 2008 held a peaceful sensitization rally against the Federal

Socialist Democracy – March-April 2008 2007 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL VERDICT ON YAR’ADUA: A Grand Judicial Beatification Of Electoral Fraud After eight months of intensive and very expensive legal tussles over the fairness and legitimacy of the 2007 general elections, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday February 26, 2008 gave a verdict which endorsed the election of Musa Yar’Adua