RESOLUTIONS TAKEN AT THE JAF SYMPOSIUM HELD ON 31st OCT 2012

Dr. Dipo Fashina, Chair, Joint Action Front (JAF)

The Joint Action Front (JAF) organised on October 31^st 2012 a NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM on "NIGERIA: the Growing instability, which way forward" as part of its sustained programme of action for the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria, and also, towards mobilising Nigerians for resistance against the background of deepening crises in the polity as manifested in fuel scarcity and price hike, flood disaster across the country, high cost of food, general insecurity, etc.

The well attended Symposium moderated by JAF Chairperson Dr Dipo Fashina had participants drawn from the trade unions, academic union, workers in the informal sector, okada riders, students, professionals (medical and legal), civil society groups and the media.

After an exhaustive and highly participatory session, the following resolutions were adopted:

1. JAF calls for a sustained resistance to all oppressive policies in Nigeria, no matter what state, irrespective of the ethnic nationality and religious faith of the perpetrators of oppression.
2. Calls for action against all inhuman policies and laws that deny workers their wages and tools of earning their wages.
3. Consequently, the Symposium resolved to hold a Day of united action of all JAF affiliates and relevant civil society organisations in solidarity with the Okada workers in Lagos State to protest and resist the cruel and military style injustice they have been receiving in the hands of the Lagos state government.
4. JAF supports unequivocally the rights of Okada workers to their livelihood and to live under just laws. The Lagos State Government has no right whatsoever to burn the okada bikes it wrongfully and unconstitutionally confiscated. It must pay compensation to the owners of the burnt bikes.
5. Calls on Lagos State to stop its dangerous divisive politics among okada associations; and to respect the rights of individual citizens to belong to an association of their choice.
6. JAF reminds those who are calling out armed state apparatus against poor citizens today that they are legitimizing military options to civilian problems, Hence, JAF urges Nigerians to resist the desperation of the Lagos State Government to draw Nigeria back to an era of militarism that Nigerians will like to forget.
7. JAF alerts Nigerians that the on-going privatisation exercise such as privatization of electricity, like the failed privatization of airlines and Banks will not solve the problem of giving every Nigerian household a readily available and affordable electricity supply. But it will transfer the people’s assets into the hands of the same interests that sabotaged PHCN and Nigerians must rise to resist it.
8. JAF restates its commitment to intensify the struggle to build the political resistance of workers and the oppressed in Nigeria towards ensuring System Change. System change will put a stop to exploitative and oppressive policies and usher a true people’s democracy.

Aluta Continua 

DR. DIPO FASHINA         COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU

JAF Chairperson             JAF Secretary

FG SHOULD RESTORE ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL @ N97 OR FACE MASS ACTION!

IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO THE FLOOD VICTIMS!!

NIGERIANS, ARISE TO RESIST THE POLICIES OF PRIVATISATION, DEREGULATION & FOOD CRISIS NOW!!!

PRESS STATEMENT

 

1.    The Joint Action Front (JAF) wishes to alert Nigerians of the surreptitious plot by the Federal Government and the oil marketers to impose a new price regime for petroleum products, thereby artificially inducing and encouraging scarcity of petroleum products (petrol, kerosene and diesel) and its attendant hike in prices across the country.

2.    JAF notes that filling stations across the country, including NNPC branded outlets sell petrol at N110 to N140 per litre instead of the official price of N97, while kerosene is sold at N120 – N150 a litre instead of N50.

3.    JAF does not find credible the recent statement credited to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) that it will SHUT down any filling station selling above the official prices, which is deceptive and aimed at disarming Nigerians from protesting against the current prevalence of fuel scarcity and hike in prices. As at date all the filling stations sell above the official prices and yet none has been shut.

4.    Nigerians should be reminded that the January 3^rd – 16^th 2012 MASS ACTION, in which JAF played a leading role, compelled the Federal Government to retreat to the new so-called 40% subsidized price of N97 for petrol as against its January 1^st 2012 wicked hike in the price of petrol from N65 – N141.

5.   JAF is in the process of mobilising Nigerians and groups across the country towards resisting the current scarcity in fuel products and hike in prices. JAF therefore urges NIGERIANS to prepare to join the struggle anywhere they are when such action is declared.

6.    We urge Nigerians to make PUBLIC (through www.jointactionfront.blogspot.com and other social media) names and locations of all FILLING STATIONS selling fuels above the current official prices (petrol @ N97 a litre, kerosene @ N50 a litre and diesel @ N70 a litre).

7.    Also, JAF strongly condemns the Federal Government for its insensitivity and lack of emergency measures to address the plights of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians displaced recently by the River Niger floods, which has caused agonies to not only the people in Kogi State but to those in neighbouring states and other Nigerians. The flood disaster has equally caused hike in the prices of food, unavailability of potable water to residents, chaotic traffic situations and untold sufferings to the North-South travelers who were stranded for days.

8.    This is one more instance that has exposed the present ruling class of looters and its preferred wicked policies of greed and profits in the guise of Privatisation and Deregulation agenda (private interests) which have been responsible for neglect and near total collapse of infrastructure, thereby condemning Nigerians to for the untold hardship and unnecessary sufferings.

9.   SYSTEM CHANGE REMAINS OUR GOAL!

·         JAF has consistently commends to Nigerians that we need a STRUGGLE to end the rule of the CLASS OF LOOTERS. For the avoidance of doubt, Privatisation and Deregulation are in Nigeria, avenues for virtual stealing of the people’s property and looting. We have seen this in the banking, aviation and the petroleum sector. The same greed and thievery will rule the privatization of the electricity sector. Therefore, all organizations of the people must join the resistance to exploiters and their rule.

·         We STAND by SYSTEM CHANGE, which means:

“Nigeria is rich. The wealth belongs to the people. Most Nigerians are hungry, have no jobs, no education, no healthcare, no potable water, no electricity supply and no affordable transportation. Most cannot feed their families or educate their children. Those who are lucky to have jobs are not much different. They also cannot afford a decent living for their families. On the other hand, there is a very tiny group of Nigerians who have cornered the wealth that belong to the working people and the poor, who are in the majority. They loot the treasury and use their stolen wealth to sustain themselves in power through their political parties. They use their power to get richer and richer when the poor get poorer and poorer. This is the system of exploitation and oppression. It is the system that brings out the army and the police to kill poor people when they protest against oppression and exploitation.

We want to change that system and replace it with a system where the working people and the millions of people who are sufferings under the system of exploitation will win power and ensure that the wealth of Nigeria is used to ensure a good life for the majority of the people who are now exploited and oppressed. System change is not replacing one exploiter’s government by another exploiter’s government. It is replacing an exploiter’s government by a people’s government to reorganise Nigeria and put an end to exploitation and oppression”.

DR. DIPO FASHINA                        COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU

JAF Chairperson                             JAF Secretary

MASSACRE OF MINE WORKERS IN SOUTH AFRICA:

 Hold Rightwing Forces in the ANC Government Responsible!

ANC Government Should Nationalise the Mines Now!!

FG: Withdraw Soldiers from PHCN Now to Avert Massacre of Electricity Workers!!!

Press Statement

1. The Joint Action Front (JAF) condemns the gruesome murder of 34 mine workers at the Lonmin Marikana Mine by the South African bloodthirsty armed police. The incident, which also left about 100 workers seriously injured, evokes sad memories of the ignoble Apartheid South Africa.
2. We strongly hold that the Lonmin Management and the neo-liberal rightwing forces in the ANC Government in particular, should be held responsible for the terror unleashed on the miners.
3. It is unfortunate that the ANC Government whose leadership has enviable records of struggle on the side of the working people in dismantling Apartheid South Africa has been undermined by rightwing forces within its rank.
4. The genuine and pro-working people forces in the ANC have a responsibility to purge the ANC Government of the fascist and neo-liberal elements within its rank in order to avoid further damage to its credibility, and to reassure the South African workers and working people all over the world that joined forces to DEFEAT Apartheid, of its commitment to respect fundamental rights of its working people and citizens.
5. However, it should be stated that the right-wingers in the ANC Government instigated this murderous act on behalf of big businesses, thus serving the interest and greed of the super capitalists at the expense of the poor working people. Suffice to recall that Lonmin has obnoxious record of being anti-worker. For instance, in May 2011, about 9,000 workers were sacked by the company for what it described as "unprotected industrial action".
6. JAF is firmly in solidarity with the Mine workers for demanding improvement in their pays. It should be noted that Lonmin is the world 3^rd largest producer of platinum but pays the workers poverty wages. The miners who currently earn about $484 have demanded their salary to be increased to about $1,512, which is not beyond the capacity of Lonmin that prefers to dole out outrageous pays to few managers, at the gross expense of the miners who create the huge wealth for the company from the pit of the earth but live in subhuman condition in slums and shanties of Marikana - the village where the mine is located.
7. We equally condemn the profit-driven and callous mentality of the Lonmin Management who had just about 48 hours after the massacre, ordered the rest striking workers to return to work or face mass sack.
8. JAF commends the resolve by the workers to remain on strike in pursuit of their legitimate demands and therefore call on COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions), other trade unions from across the world and pro-working people organizations internationally to give unflinching support to the miners with various solidarity actions.
9. We urge COSATU, the ANC movement and democratic forces in South Africa to demand the NATIONALISATION of all the mines in South Africa and put them under the democratic control of the working people.
10. We equally demand living wage for the miners, adequate compensation to the families of those killed and injured, an end to the armed police siege of Marikana mine and respect for the democratic rights of workers, and judicial prosecution of the armed police involved in the massacre of the mine workers.
11. In the light of the South African massacre, JAF wishes to recall the deployment of soldiers to PHCN facilities since mid-November 2011 and the on-going use of soldiers to compel electricity workers at gun-point to sign the so-called SEVERANCE PACKAGE in the desperation by the FG to forcefully take-over of PHCN and hand it over to their cronies. Thus, we demand a stop to the harassment and brutality of the electricity workers and the immediate withdrawal of tanks and troops deployed against them in order to avert a repeat of the gory South African experience in Nigeria. 

DR. DIPO FASHINA                          COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU

JAF Chairperson                              JAF Secretary

FG SHOULD STOP INTIMIDATING THE ELECTRICITY WORKERS!

STOP THE PRIVATISATION OF THE PHCN NOW!!

PRESS STATEMENT

1. The attention of the Joint Action Front (JAF) has been drawn to a sponsored attack against workers in the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE). In the statement made available to the JAF leadership, NUEE reported that:

“On Friday August 3, 2012 around 1230hrs, a middle aged man came to our National Secretariat claiming that he had a mail for us and on getting to our reception, he said he forgot the mail. Unknown to him that he was under surveillance, he made a call to an unknown person that he was already “there” and later entered into one of the offices with devices capable of causing explosion but before he could actualize his mission, he was overpowered by the vigilant staff on duty. On interrogation, he claimed he was looking for a toilet. The Police at the Adekunle Divisional Police Station, Yaba-Lagos was immediately contacted and the man was promptly arrested. Further interrogation by the Police has confirmed that he is not a staff of NIPOST as claimed and that his given residence was a fluke”.

2. JAF wishes to recall the spate of harassment and threat, in the past one year, on members and leadership of NUEE. We recall, in particular, the deployment of soldiers to PHCN facilities in mid-November 2011 under the guise of national security, but the real intention of the Federal Government (FG) being to forcefully take-over of PHCN and hand it over to their cronies.
3. The latest act of attack is basically aimed at intimidating the leadership of NUEE and workers in the electricity sector, who have been consistent in their resistance to the FG’s desperate agenda of privatization of the power sector.
4. JAF deplores this unwarranted attack and warns the FG and its agents to desist from such barbaric act that will further deepen the insecurity situation in the country.
5. We therefore, call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), civil society group and patriots to join forces with the struggle of the Electricity workers to resist the handover of PHCN facilities to the profiteers and the ruling cabals and the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
6. JAF maintains its position that the Power Sector can be efficient if it is democratically run with the involvement of elected representatives of workers and consumers in the management of electricity. This is the only way that public resources invested in sector can translate into qualitative improvement in power generation, adequate supply and affordability.

  DR. DIPO FASHINA                     COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU

 JAF Chairperson                               JAF Secretary