Skip to main content

Rising resistance and saving Nigeria

March 24, 2010

The March 10 demonstration by the Save Nigeria Group in which hundreds of citizens participated might be a step at consolidating a new turn in civil society activism in Nigeria, during a democratic dispensation. The SNG’s demands were for: Yar’Adua’s final exit; dissolution of the Federal Executive Council and; implementation of the Uwais report.

The March 10 demonstration by the Save Nigeria Group in which hundreds of citizens participated might be a step at consolidating a new turn in civil society activism in Nigeria, during a democratic dispensation. The SNG’s demands were for: Yar’Adua’s final exit; dissolution of the Federal Executive Council and; implementation of the Uwais report.
The protesters handed over their demands in a letter to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation. Subsequent events in the past week might make the assertion that the SNG represents a re-awakening of sorts, a credible one. First is the continued escalation of the SNG and allied groups’ actions thus far, as demonstrated by the March 16 rallies, again in Abuja. Second is Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s implementation of one of the three demands of the group, even if it could be arguably said that such action by the Acting President was the apt political step to take, with or without the SNG demanding such action.

To put in perspective the group’s action one can not but ask: “what is the SNG?”

The Save Nigeria Group (SNG) is a coalition of pro-democracy and human rights organizations and patriotic Nigerians. It had organized a similar rally earlier in the year at the National Assembly complex, being the first in its series of “Enough is Enough” campaign. It was however denied access to the Assembly grounds this time by the security agencies and from reports, plain clothes and uniformed security officers outnumbered the protesters. SNG has vowed to “continue to mobilize Nigerians to engage in public action, including protests, sit-at-homes and strike actions until these demands are fully implemented in the interest of peace, security and genuine democracy in Nigeria”.

The excuse of the police made by John Haruna who had ordered the killing of civilians during the June 2003 NLC-led mass protests against deregulation was that, there were counter rallies by groups such as the faceless Nigeria Unity Group and a faction of the PDP youth wing. It had initially threatened to stop the rally entirely, but caved in to public opinion.

What are the implications of all these for the emancipation of Nigeria’s working people and youths?

The resistance being mounted by SNG, and indeed any fight against the powers that be that exploit and dominate the working people is welcome. That the protesters were prevented from entering the Assembly’s premises and the state’s threat and use of paid “supporters” as IBB and Abacha did also show that the country’s mis-rulers are feeling uncomfortable. It is also good that the pro-democracy movement which had retreated into NGOist workshop-activism is back on the streets.

The demands of SNG do however have great shortcomings. They portray symbols of the ruling class, such as Yar’Adua, as the problem, just as “civil society” queued behind Abiola during June 12, as the mandate’s “custodian”. There is no single word against deregulation and privatization; there is no call for decent wages and better living conditions for workers. The SNG is more concerned with “peace, security and genuine democracy” of the elites and not with: an end to the exploitation of workers; overthrowing the domination and rule of Nigeria’s visionless pseudo-capitalists over working people and youths and; establishing working class democracy, in the workplaces, communities and across the country. In short, what they want are reforms (and even these are so limited!) and not revolution. Meanwhile, any lasting transformation of Nigeria requires a revolution through which the exploited and oppressed working people of Nigeria will emancipate themselves and raise up the banner for workers of all lands to unite, fight and win their self-emancipation.

The prominent role the pro-democratic movement played in the June 12 revolution was due to organized labour’s inconsistent responses in 1993/94, with Bafyau as NLC President, and the subsequent crackdown on NLC by the military government. Despite this, it is noteworthy that the most successful “sit at home” “strikes” organized by Campaign for Democracy were those that synchronized with General Strikes of NLC or strike actions by other trade unions especially NUPENG and PENGASSAN.

The labour movement’s power and leadership of the Nigerian people has been demonstrated several times in the present dispensation with 8 General Strikes and huge mass protests which led Obasanjo to declare labour as a parallel government in 2004. This is not to discountenance efforts at resistance by other social forces such as the SNG. On the contrary, every form of resistance, every mobilization of the masses is a welcome blow against the local and global forces that have in their collaboration kept Nigeria underdeveloped and it’s poor, toiling people hungry, pauperized and hopeless. And the utmost possible unity of these different actions should be forged, including within and even beyond the structure of the Labour Civil Society Coalition (LASCO).

It is important, if resistance is to create transformative change, for the demands around which they are organized to recognize the linkages between reforms and revolution, realizing that no new society, no liberation of the people anywhere, has ever happened and can ever happen without a revolution. Even demands against deregulation and for living wages are for reforms, but these are reforms that can strengthen workers and fill us with confidence that we can indeed change our lives for the better through struggle. 

SNG is interested in saving a Nigeria of the elites. Workers need to transcend the corrupt and inept rule of the country’s historically moribund elites in emancipating themselves and building a new Nigeria of the liberated working people. That groups like SNG are rising now show that the contradictions of capitalist rule in Nigeria are getting sharper. The challenge now is to build workers power and deepen the influence of revolutionary socialist ideas in the emerging period.

Baba Aye is a Deputy National Secretary of the Labour Party

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });