STOP SUFFOCATING US; STATEMENT OF THE WYSN ON THE AUGUST 2 NATIONAL PROTEST

PRESS STATEMENT

AUGUST 1, 2023

STOP SUFFOCATING US!!!

THE WORKERS AND YOUTHS SOLIDARITY NETWORK (WYSN) SUPPORTS OF THE NLC AND TUC MASS PROTEST TO DEMAND AN END TO ALL ANTI-PEOPLE POLICIES

We demand:

• The total reversal of the PMS price,
• Reversal of all hiked fees across public tertiary institutions,
• Introduction of study grants and not students loan,
• A public probe of all oil thefts,
• Repair of national refineries and building of more refineries.

The first 60 days of Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) in office as the President of Nigeria has brought nothing but an increase in hardship, cost of living, and hyperinflation across board. These are results of the several anti-people policies, such as fuel subsidy removal, students’ loan policy, naira deregulation and devaluation, hike in school fees and many more, embarked upon by the Tinubu’s government. We of the Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) believe that only a mass movement of Workers, Youths, Students and entire people like this can neutralize the extreme policies of the ruling class and ensure we gain few concessions in our favour.

This is why we totally support these actions and call on the Labour movement not to only limit this struggle to only the reversal of all anti-poor policies but the commencement of pro-people projects such as improved funding of education, payment of N200,000 minimum wage, payment of owed/backlog salaries to workers, free and quality healthcare at points of use, reduction of the salaries of the ruling class, repair of our local refineries and nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy.

The Subsidy Removal and Rise in Cost of Living

Nigerians are still in shock at the proclamation made by Bola Tinubu on his inauguration day on the immediate halt in the subsidy provided by the Federal Government on PMS. This single proclamation saw the value of PMS increase from an average of N190/litre to N500/litre (and now N617/litre). Before now, the citizens were in the dark about the source, value and extent of the subsidy. The decision was not only premature but ill-prepared, unplanned, and unthoughtful. While some pro-BAT people hail and tag him “the brave one”, we of WYSN believe this declaration further shows his weakness and cowardice. If truly marketers are diverting petroleum products after claiming subsidies from the FG, then the same government should hunt and publicly prosecute those persons perpetrating such acts. Instead, the BAT government tagged these oil crooks as the “elite of the elites” who cannot be prosecuted. Hence, Tinubu believes that the ultimate solution to the national headache is to cut off the head.

Another evidence of the inefficiencies of the lacklustre BAT government is the inability to come up with a plan to cushion the effect of subsidy removal. The BAT government initially believed that a conditional cash transfer of N8,000 ($10) monthly to extremely poor homes was the best method to cushion the effects of subsidy removal. We believe this is just another attempt to loot and siphon the public wealth! If not, let us all ask the government to publish the register of the poor people and how the list was curated.

The cluelessness of the government has plunged the nation into the wreckage. For instance, the increase in the price of PMS has automatically increased the prices of goods and services. Transport fares have increased up to 100%, food prices are on a record high price and the cost of securing services has increased astronomically. While some states have rolled out palliatives in the form of a reduction in work days of workers, additional N5-10,000 monthly, provision of additional transport systems and so on, all of these are nothing compared to the hardship the subsidy removal has caused.

The Students’ Loan and Crisis in the Education Sector

Another talking point for many youths and workers is the Students’ Loan Act recently signed by the new president. The loan bill aims at catering for students’ tuition fees which is currently not in existence. This shows the intention of the Tinubu/APC-led government to commodify education by introducing tuition fees. Even, the conditions attached to the loan are stringent and almost unachievable for most students. Aside from this soon-to-be-introduced tuition fee, the management of Nigerian tertiary institutions in Nigeria with the backing of the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) has astronomically increased fees across campuses. On average, fees across federal public universities in Nigeria have increased by over 200%. This is evident in the new fee schedule released by the management of the University of Abuja, University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Jos, and so on.

According to the university management, the FG has compelled the school management to charge students “a reasonable fee” for the services rendered in the school. We believe this is a ploy of the FG to stop funding education and increase the burden on the poor and working people. We believe Nigeria is endowed with resources that, if well-planned and utilized, are more than enough to fund free education at all levels. While we President has bowed to pressure by removing the stringent conditions on student loans, we believe that what Nigerians need is study grants and not student loans. More so, the statement of the president on the arbitrary increase in sundry fees payable in tertiary institutions is a mere speech until efforts are made to implement it.

 

The Poor can No Longer Breath

Contrary to the popular extract of the speeches of the president, the poor and working people can no longer breathe. The FG, through her policies, has continued to suffocate the poor. The FG repressed the activities of the organized labour by issuing a court injunction to stop the Labour union from going on strike and instead commence dialogue and discussion. However, more than 50 days after, the FG deliberately shunned the labour movement and refused to present herself for discussion. We can also reference the statement made by President Tinubu during his campaign that “no matter the protest, he will remove subsidy”. Could it be that Nigerians have voted another autocratic leader as the president?

A New Minimum Wage is not enough

Yes, we totally support the labour movement in the demand for a new minimum wage of N200,000. However, we believe that a demand for a new minimum wage alone is not enough. The labour movement and entire workers must also demand a halt to all anti-workers policies. These demands should include, but not be limited to:

• The total reversal of the PMS price,
• Reversal of all hiked fees across public tertiary institutions,
• Introduction of study grants and not students loan,
• A public probe of all oil thefts,
• Repair of national refineries and building of more refineries.

Similarly, the labour movements must commence the process of building a mass workers’ party armed with socialist ideas! Only a mass-based political party of workers, youths and students can wrestle power with the elite capitalist parties and ultimately defeat them. Until we build a mass workers alternative that we can fight for a socialist program to end the rule of a few people.

 

Damilola Owot

Secretary

Workers and Youths Solidarity Network