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Segun Sango Protem National Chairperson Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) says that the working masses must fight and profer a political alternative to capitalist looting…

In the midst of abundant human and natural resources, the vast majority of Nigeria’s working masses and the poor perpetually live in abject poverty. The primary reason for this embarrassing state of absurdity is the “profit first” capitalist system which dominates the world including Nigeria. Under this unjust system, whether in advanced countries of US, Europe, Japan, etc. or stupendously resource rich but economically backward countries like Nigeria, the vast majority of the world population are kept in unstable and often difficult socio-economic conditions with only tiny fraction of the rich and the excessively rich having exclusive access to things and comforts of life. This system of absurdity is best typified by Nigeria’s looting capitalist elite who reign supreme over unbelievable level of economic backwardness and mass misery.

LOOTING WITH IMPUNITY

The latest manifestation of looting with impunity is a case popularly called the “Pension Scam Scandal”. As usual, in this case, a few highly placed government officials between themselves and their accomplices stole over N40billion from the Police Pension Scheme. Unfortunately for this set of looters, they were charged to court – in consonance with President Jonathan’s “war against corruption!” In the spirit of “due process” another flagship of the present dispensation, those who brought this set of looters to court entered what is popularly called “plea bargaining” with the looters. Subsequently, the judiciary was invited to “impartially” dispense justice against the looters in accordance with the existing laws and laid down precedents.

The Vanguard newspaper of January 29, 2013 reported the joke that masqueraded as a judicial proceeding: “One of the eight civil servants accused of complicity in the illegal diversion of over N40billion from the Nigeria Police Pension Funds, Mr. John Yakubu Yusufu, yesterday confessed before an Abuja High Court that he connived with the others and stole only about N23billion. He was, however sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine. Yusufu who pleaded guilty to a three-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) begged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying he had already forfeited 32 of his choice property to the Federal Government. The accused person who was hitherto facing trial alongside a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Atiku Abubakar Kigo and six others, made his confession shortly after the EFCC re-docked them on a 20-count amended charge”.

UPROAR

This judicial sanctification of looting has provoked widespread uproar amongst all sections of the working masses across the country. Apparently fearing the political explosion which this issue can detonate if the working masses organizations like the NLC, TUC, JAF, DSM etc. should make a bold and categorical call for mass protest against this blatant act of treasury looting, the Jonathan led PDP government through its agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), immediately re-arrested and re-arraigned Mr. Yakubu Yusufu, the current chief beneficiary of the reigning “Plea Bargain”, to give the impression that the government itself is so scandalized and has taken steps to right this wrong.

In addition to the mass outrage expressed by the ordinary working masses against this gigantic instance of looting, the Nigeria Labour Congress has given the official response of the organized workers to the entire show of shame. The NLC statement issued on January 29, 2013 by its Acting President, Kiri Mohammed, amongst other things stated: “We are startled at the judgment by an Abuja High Court yesterday which convicted a man who already admitted stealing N23billion out of over N40billion found to have been stolen from the coffers of the Nigeria Police Pension Fund between January 2008 and June 2011 to just two years in prison with an option of fine in the sum of N750,000 ….We urge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately appeal against this judgment or call for a retrial, while we call on the National Judicial Council to investigate both the judge and the entire case”. Several other angry Nigerians and groups have called for various stiff sentences like life jail, some even canvassed the death penalty etc. for public looters.

PUBLIC LOOTING

For us members of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), we share the anguish and anger of ordinary Nigerians against this kind of capitalist looting. To us in the SPN even the killing of the kind of person that voluntarily pleaded guilty of having stolen N23billion from Police Pension Funds would not be sufficient to compensate the affected pensioners, if on retirement they could not receive their pensions. In fact, the SPN is fully aware that the PDP-led capitalist government of President Jonathan is nothing but an act of organized looting of public resources. It is not only this mind boggling act of looting that is on going. To underscore its pro-rich, anti-poor disposition the federal government had between 2009 and 2012 spent over seven Trillion Naira to bail out failed banks. In addition over N100 billion has also allegedly been spent on the textile sector, yet the government has openly acknowledged that the industry lost over 776,000 workers. Notwithstanding payment of over seven trillion to bankers who practically looted and gambled with depositors money in their custody, tens of thousands of bank workers have been sacked by the profit-hunters running the banks! Trillions of naira are being routinely looted by a combination of the capitalist elite in and out of government.

On October 25, 2012, the BBC news website gave a mini catalogue of just some on-going capitalist looting:

“NIGERIA: ‘OIL-GAS SECTOR MISMANAGEMENT COSTS BILLIONS’

A leaked report into Nigeria’s Oil and gas industry has revealed the extent of mismanagement and corruption that is costing billions of dollars each year.

The report, seen by the BBC, was commissioned by the oil minister in the wake of this year’s fuel protests to probe the financial side of the sector.

Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest oil producers but most of its people remain mired in poverty.

MISSING BILLIONS REVEALED THIS YEAR

· $400bn – estimated amount of Nigeria’s oil revenue stolen or misspent since independence in 1960 – World Bank’s ex-vice-president for Africa, Oby Ezekwesili said in August.

· $6.8bn – the amount a fuel subsidy scam has cost Nigeria over the last two years – a parliamentary report said in April.

· $29bn – the amount lost by the treasury in the last decade in an apparent gas price-fixing scam – leaked Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force report in October.

$6bn – the amount the treasury loses a year because of oil theft – leaked Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force report in October”.

booking.

hey

More than a million unemployed Nigerian graduates came out for a sham immigration recruitment exercise after 1,500naira had been dubiously collected from them by president Goodluck Jonathans minister of interior Aba Moro, only to discover that they've been scammed over a non existing job

•23 jobless youth died
•167 were injured
•A lot of certificates and other documents missing

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE AZIKIWE JONATHAN HAS FAILED THE NIGERIAN YOUTH

QUESTIONS:
•What is the hope of the affected family who loss there love one during the immigration exercise?
•Why will the government scam the youths to make money?

I may not know much about subsidy scam
I may not know much about 20 Billion dollars scam e.t.c

BUT PLEASE HELP ME BEG JONATHAN TO RETURNE MY MONEY AND THREE PEOPLE I PAID FOR BEFORE HE GO BACK TO OTUEKE .. I wont accept Mr President to scam me and go for free

This GEJ Administration is just synonymous With Missing Funds and a Paralysed and Toothless EFCC

Nigerians Want Change
Vote GMB
Vote APC

#DontForgetSoSoon

don't forget