A CLARION
CALL by Joint Action Front [JAF]
Being Text of the Press Conference by Joint Action
Front (JAF) held at CCG, Lagos, March 9th 2015
INTRODUCTION
We in the Joint Action Front (JAF) welcome our dear media compatriots to
this press conference, which has been specifically scheduled to state our
positions on the State of the Nation and our resolve to defend the interest of
the Nigerian working people and the oppressed poor classes at all times.
The Nigerian economy is heading towards a collapse despite the empty
assurance by the Federal Government and its various spoke-persons that all is
well. The prevalent socio-economic realities have proven the Government wrong.
Our assessment has shown that the Federal Government and State
Governments and their agencies are in deficit of arrears of salaries to workers
across the country, which Governments admitted has been due to the shortfall in
national revenues, and thereby informed the short fall in allocations.
However, JAF notes that the same economic downturn, which is the direct
result of the capitalist economic policies of privatisation, deregulation and
the underdevelopment of the nation’s productive forces, is bound to continue as
long as this system of exploitation continues.
Over the
years, we in JAF have maintained that this system of exploitation must be
fought and defeated, hence our consistent struggle for SYSTEM CHANGE in the
direction of socialist transformation of the Nigerian society.
STATE OF THE
NATION
.The
highlights of the State of the Nation are:
·
The General
elections of February 14 and 28 were postponed and despite the new dates of
March 28 and April 11, there are worrisome signals of the conspiracy to again
postpone the election. The use of the MILITARY to force the postponement of the
elections is dangerous and threatens even the new election dates of March 28
and April 11. Who, except the military itself, determines whether or not there
is enough security? Nigeria must not allow the military to come again and tell
us we cannot have elections. We must resist this for the sake of our country
and its people.
·
There is no
end in sight to the Boko Haram menace despite the renewed war by the military.
·
There are
crises in the economy, manifesting in very big, sharp drop in prices of crude
oil, destruction of the value of the Naira, heavy and cruel joblessness, abject
poverty and no one, no place is safe from violence in our country.
·
How have
Governments responded to the drop in oil revenue? The same old therapies:
default in paying workers’ salaries, retrenchment, Austerity measures in the
2015 budget, neglect of public infrastructure, no welfare, more starvation,
more insecurity, more suffering for the working people, the poor and the
oppressed. For the exploiters, more riches through foreign currency, cheaper
labour, heavier profit.
·
Irrespective
of the party that wins the presidential election, the crisis in the economy is
bound to continue because the economic agenda of the two major parties (PDP and
APC) remains dependent on oil and capitalist policies of privatisation and deregulation.
These policies are operated and championed by servants of the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), whose main business is to steal our
national wealth for the use of the exploiters in Europe, United States of
America, Japan, Asia, etc. These agents cannot defend the working people, the
poor and the oppressed anywhere.
·
In Nigeria,
the privatisation and deregulation policies have undermined the 1999
Constitution, which in stating the country’s economic objectives, makes it
mandatory that the commanding heights of the economy shall not be in private
hands. Rulers, their governments and their agents have sold and are determined
to sell everything sellable unless the working people lead the oppressed to
stop them.
LESSONS OF
HISTORY
·
The rule and
policies of Electoral manipulations since post-independence Nigeria have been
harbingers of national calamities. In the 1960s, election heist led to
Operation Wetie, military rule and the 1967 - 70 Civil War. The 1983 NPN
electoral moon-slide led to another 16 years of military rule. The crisis
arising from the annulment of June 12 1993 election led to the strengthening of
military dictatorship and anarchy.
·
Who suffered
in the past? Who will bear the brunt of ongoing political and economic crises
in the country if they are allowed to get worse and worse? In all these crises,
it is the working people and the oppressed poor that were worst hit with untold
deprivation and bloodshed.
·
We should
therefore oppose all manner of electoral manipulations and postponement under
whatever guise, including the ongoing rumour of a military coup or imposition
of an interim regime to scuttle the election. The clear lesson from history is
that such an aberration, will leave the working people and oppressed masses
worst off, and thereby cut short the process of building a broad movement that
can ensure the realisation of SYSTEM CHANGE under the control of the working
people and oppressed.
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
1.
To Defend
Democratic Gains won by the people of Nigeria.
·
We have a
DUTY to support the democratic rights of the Nigerian masses to choose their
leaders through elections, hence we should INSIST that elections must hold
peacefully and in line with INEC rules and guidelines on March 28 and April 11,
Results must be declared and the winners of the elections must be sworn-in on
May 29, 2015.
2.
To mobilise
the Working People and all the poor and oppressed in our country against
Austerity Measures.
·
But beyond
the elections is the challenge of organising and mobilising the working
people, the poor and the oppressed to resist the Austerity Measures and
further misery for the people that are imminent irrespective of the party that
win.
3.
To Build a
Genuine People’s Political Alternative.
·
Also, there
is the fundamental issue of change. To achieve change we must build a Genuine
Working People’s Alternative.
·
We should
ask: what kind of change do the working people and the oppressed want? Is it
the Change by the ruling political parties who have looted the country dry?
What should constitute Change and who can really effect the Change?
·
For us in
JAF, the Change we want will UNITE the vast majority of our people under a
government that will organise the working people and oppressed poor to boost
our productive capacities and will use the resources for sustainable economic
and social advancement; thereby reversing our economic dependency and restoring
our dignity as an independent country. The Government of the working people
will take care of all Nigerians no matter where they come from, their religion,
where they live, and their sex. It will care for all Nigerians dehumanised by
the rule of the oppressors
·
But to get
this kind of Change, we in JAF cannot do it alone. This is why we have resolved
to commend to all working people and all oppressed classes in Nigeria the
necessity to join forces together and build a BROAD MOVEMENT that can put
before the Nigerian People a Genuine Working People’s Alternative.
IMMEDIATE PROGRAMME OF ACTION
- We have started nationwide consultations with NLC, TUC, Trade Unions, Trade Associations, Student organisations, Professional Bodies (NMA, NBA, etc), Artisans and Market Groups, Residents Associations, CDAs, Progressive Political Parties, Left groups, CSOs and Faith-based groups on the basis of the above enumerated goals.
- A Consultative Meeting of all the consulted groups will hold before the elections to define the Programme of Action of the BROAD MOVEMENT and the tasks to organise all people’s organisations to come together and struggle to win.
FORWARD
EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!
Dr. Oladipo
Fashina Comrade Abiodun Aremu
JAF
Chairperson
JAF Secretary
