The Socialist Workers League reaffirms the unshaken commitment of working people and youth to come out in their numbers to protest in the August #DaysOfRage, across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
The immense majority of Nigerians are hungry, angry and ready to stand up against the pangs of hardship and hunger and those in power who have put us in this state. In addition, the ruling class is jittery, because they know the strength we have in our numbers when we organise, unite and fight. The government is afraid. It knows that its threats of repression cannot stop the tidal wave of rage. It has thus gone to town with propaganda of all sorts. But these will not work, because the people can see through their lies.
SWL, through its active participation in the demonstrations over the next 10 days, will not only be protesting the severe hardship that we, the poor masses, are going through. We will also seize this opportunity to underscore why this is the situation, and what is to be done.
SWL realises that incompetence, insensitivity and corruption of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu government are important factors that have contributed significantly to the economic insecurity of working-class people and youths from poor backgrounds. But we also know the most fundamental reason for our impoverishment, which these subjective limitations of the Tinubu APC regime build upon, is the exploitative nature of capitalism.
It is a system that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. It is the reason why workers, poor farmers and all other working people across the world are going through hell on earth. Capitalism is not only destroying our lives. It is equally devastating to the environment, stoking a climate crisis that’s pushing humankind to extinction.
As activists, as we stand up together united against hardship, hunger and slave wages, we must be clear about the fullness of our struggle. Resistance to the anti-poor people policies of the government and ruling class in Nigeria, and revolution to overthrow the rotten, exploitative and oppressive system of capitalism.
Rank and file workers, you are a part of this uprising of the people. The miserly sum of N70,000 which the trade union bureaucracy reached with the government is not enough for you and your families. Trade union leaders do not feel your pains, they do not receive slave wages. The fight is not over. You must not allow your state or employer to stick to this minimum wage of enslavement. Join the protests, demand a living wage as minimum wage.
As we dare to struggle, we dare to win. No power on earth can stop the people united and determined. Onward forward to victory!
Kunle “Wizeman” Ajayi Amara Nwosu
National Chairperson National Secretary
