₦airaland Forum

[b]2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS: None of the existing political parties represent the change working masses and youth desire

By Segun Sango, National Chairperson, Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN)

Nigeria's 2015 general elections, from all key indications, promises to be the most beleaguered since post colonial rule in 1960. Politically and economically, the capitalist institutions and all their political parties are locked in an intractable crisis. This is manifested in their complete failure to meet the socio-economic and political needs of Nigeria and particularly that of its overwhelming citizens. Now the country is on the verge of plunging downwards as the export price of oil plummets, not only does this undermine much of Nigeria's income, it also means even more vicious infighting within the ruling class as they fight to loot a smaller cake.

Given the failure of governance and attendant debilitating socio-economic situation faced daily by the working masses, the prevailing mood suggests a mass apathy towards the 2015 elections. This indicates that the elections will be characterized by massive vote buying and electoral rigging. Most unfortunately, for the vast majority of Nigerians that are and will continue to bear the brunt of the unfolding capitalist nightmare, the trade unions and the mis-named Labour Party lack the vision and capacity to proffer a working peoples alternative that can bring permanent respite.

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL BACKGROUND

If it is held, the elections will be taking place against the background of unprecedented economic and political crisis and destabilization. Since the return to civil rule in 1999, the socio-economic infrastructures of the country at both federal and state levels are currently in the worst possible conditions. The ruling capitalist elites across board have virtually left the roads and highways within the states and interstate levels in the most horrific conditions possible. This partly is of course a reflection of the fact that most important government officials and private business elites no longer usually travel on these roads and highways.

Usually, at the approach of elections, some of these roads particularly those in the central cities are usually "repainted" and merely patched. As we write, the elections are less than 90 days away and most of the inter-state and states roads across the country are in horrific condition without any visible plans or indications that this can get the usual cosmetic repairs before the impending elections. These despicable conditions were what prevailed when Nigeria's main source of incomes crude oil export was selling at between $100 and $125 per barrel. Working class and youth activists need not to wonder too much to contemplate the prodigious deterioration of the presently feeble level of infrastructures which Nigeria's rapacious capitalist looters will inflict on Nigeria and its people in the wake of the unfolding fall in crude oil price.

The education sector remains in conditions of massive under-development and primitivity with inadequate decent, well funded education institutions to cater for the needs of the overwhelming proportion of Nigerians. Nigeria though, Africa's top oil producer, has an estimated 64million of the adult population as illiterates. In the 2014 West African School Certificate Examinations, only 31.5% of the pupils that wrote the exams passed five subjects including English and Mathematics. Over 10 million school age children are completely out of schools and at the same time not learning any vocation. Education commercialization has reached an abominable peak with federal and state governments imposing outrageous school fees beyond the earnings of most Nigerians. Despite this, hundreds of thousands of graduates of different levels of education are permanently without jobs.

The ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) at federal level with the acquiescence of all the so-called opposition parties and the leaderships of the trade unions, completely privatized public electricity services. The story sold to the public was that privatization of this service would bring the fastest means of developing the sector. One year after privatization, electricity generation and distribution remains as terrible as they were before privatization. Recently, one of President Jonathan's ministers stated that Nigeria's households need an estimated 60,000 megawatts for regular supply of estimated 29million households at average consumption of one megawatt for 500 homes.

Meanwhile, government propagandists recently celebrated the fact that Nigeria has re-attained the production level of 4,000 megawatts. This miserable figure compared with estimated needs - was claimed after the federal government has just handed over additional sum of N213billion to the private electricity company out of which about N36.9billion was meant to settle gas debt. At the same time, agitations among the ruling capitalist elites within and outside government is currently at a peak to totally hand over Nigeria's oil resources to capitalist corporations allegedly to guarantee gas supply needed to fast drive generation of electricity. This plot is expected to be consummated with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which is supported by all the capitalist parties and politicians together with their coattails the Trade Unions hierarchy.

As recent analysts claimed, 43.3% of Nigerians live in dire poverty while 2.7millions of Nigerian children were not immunized against measles in 2013. All these horrific features prevail despite the fact that Nigeria earns a huge sum of $40billion from oil exports within a period of 6 months this year.

The post elections era cannot be expected to produce a better socio-economic climate. As a matter of fact, Okonjo Iweala, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, recently announced that Nigerians should expect tougher times ahead. About this same time, states commissioners of finance across the country i.e. of both the PDP and so-called opposition parties, recently told the media that "We have agreed subsidy should go so that we can have the money and each of the states can plan more on how best to apply the subsidy". No one needs to be an expert in economics to know that these statements from Okonjo Iweala and states Finance Commissioners portend greater hardship for the overwhelming majority of Nigerians in form of more vicious anti-poor policies including possible fuel price hike.

http://www.socialistnigeria.org/page.php?article=2637

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egift:
Jonathan has no clear agenda for Nigeria. He is just playing Politics.

If you think the postponement is out of love for the suffering masses, then you have been deceived. He is just buying time.

GMB all the way!

nduchucks:
They can support the auto manufacturing industry without destroying small businesses which thrive on used car importation.

okabe:
Care 2 share exactly hw u propose they can do dat?

egift:
Jonathan has no clear agenda for Nigeria. He is just playing Politics.

If you think the postponement is out of love for the suffering masses, then you have been deceived. He is just buying time.

GMB all the way!

nduchucks:
They are already providing financial incentives to the manufacturers who will find customers for their products in Nigeria, other African countries, and even abroad!

The Nigerian Used car industry poses no threat whatsoever to these manufacturers, so why destroy that industry? There is no sense in abruptly increasing tariffs on used cars simply because the government wants to support auto manufacturers.

nduchucks:
They are already providing financial incentives to the manufacturers who will find customers for their products in Nigeria, other African countries, and even abroad!

The Nigerian Used car industry poses no threat whatsoever to these manufacturers, so why destroy that industry? There is no sense in abruptly increasing tariffs on used cars simply because the government wants to support auto manufacturers.

dammytosh:
Don't mind sycophants praising him. Like president like followers.


They have very short memory. After 3 years of hardship and suffering. A railway project and 30% suspension in tokunbo vehicle made him have peoples interest at heart.

ssammy:
. Na lie, by God,s grace GEJ till 2019

Aitee1:


Non of my business!

maxtamazin:
Seriously? Used car poses no threat to manufacturers? Is like we continue to wear used cloths from abroad. How do we encourage production if imported used cars are cheaper than Nigerian made or how do u increase employment if you don't support local content.

User car market is not an industry, is a system of land fill or car dumping ground. Years ago thee UK govt had to pay people money to change their cars in order to support local manufacturers.

[b]‎Jonathan to Nigerians: Endure hardship that comes with fallen oil price

December 28, 2014Talatu Usman

President Goodluck Jonathan has asked Nigerians to endure the effects of the current drop in global oil prices, saying the nation will survive it.

Mr. Jonathan, while speaking at the Christ Apostolic Church in Abuja on Sunday, said the oil price drop is nothing compared to 2008 to 2009 when oil was sold for $40 per barrel.

“Of course, if t‎here is a drop in oil price, it will affect us in one way or the other. We tell our people to bear with us. It has happened before in 2008, 2009 that was almost about $40, we survived as a nation.

“This time, by all predictions, it will not even go as low as that, we will surely survive it. The economic team is working very hard to stabilise it and we believe that although there may be temporary inconveniences, it will definitely not bring the economy down” he said.

The President told the congregation that he decided to go round churches in Abuja to thank them for their prayers. He said even as the challenges facing the country increased during his tenure, Nigeria’s current woes would have been worse but for prayers.

“With the prayers you continue to offer to God, God will see us through” he said, adding that it was worse in the bible days.

The President said 2015 “is a tempting year for us” since election year in third world countries is always turbulent.

“All that I will request of you is to continue to pray for us politicians, myself and other politicians from all political parties, for God to guide us in our utterances and what we do so that we will not sacrifice the lives of Nigerians because of our ambitions.

“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. Pray to God to give us that wisdom and mind to make sure we conduct ourselves in a way that will not set the country ablaze because of our own personal ambition.

“There are so many good Nigerians that can hold the offices we are occupying or aspiring to occupy, it is by privilege of God that we are here in positions to ask for the mandates of Nigerians.



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nduchucks:
The government should allow the free market to work. If the imported used cars are inferior to the alternatives provided by the manufacturers, the imported used car market will die a natural death. Very simple concept.

onatisi:
no country makes industrial development by not protecting it local industries. The idea is simple.this isn't a total ban on imported cars ,if someone believes he wants the best and he or she can afford it ,fine,let him just pay the tarrifs that is all. India did a similar thing like this in the early 80s and it worked . Infact the fg have been very considerate. Some countries won't even consider any grace extension period .

nduchucks:
The tarrifs on imported used cars are high enough. The abrupt increase serves no useful purpose and is senseless.

As they increase tariffs, they grant their cronies waivers to the tune of billions of naira while attempting to kill small businesses. These actions are senseless and not well thought out.

onatisi:
let me take ur points one by one . You mentioned the issue of govt granting their cronies cooncessions and waivers. So far this hasn't happened or maybe u have evidence of it then u can prove ur accusations. Secondly,u raised the issue of abruptness ,but some people on this very page accused fg and gej of postponing this tarrif issue 3 times already. This is a tarrif that hasn't even been implemented and the fg have been shifting the take off date to enable all interested parties and groups to be fully prepared when it eventually kick starts. Thirdly ,u should ask urself these questions, are there car assembly plants in nigeria now? Have they started operations?do they employ nigerians ?have many more indicated interest to come ? Will the increase in these tarrifs push buyers to opt for these locally assembled cars ?if yes then forget it anybody can say what they like ,this move is good and it will go on

byrron:
The Director General said: “The government earlier deferred the imposition of the levy on used cars to December 31, 2014 to enable assembly plants ramp up enough production to satisfy demand.”

The Nigerian market, he said has approximately 400,000 vehicles annually, with about 300,000 imported as used, which was the reason “the government has to balance vehicle supply and affordability with the production by the assembly plants.”
Jalal explained that the arrangements for the establishment of the affordable vehicle finance scheme suffered delay of about four months due to the Ebola Viral Disease.

He explained: “The staff of the collaborating bank, Wesbank of South Africa, delayed their planned trip to Nigerian to set up operations from September 2014 to January 2015. Hence the new date for the start of operations of the financing scheme is April 2014.”

cap28:
The looters have to ensure that they secure themselves in power before they unleash more misery on the docile Nigerian masses.

Since when did the Nigerian looters give a damn about boosting the domestic automobile industry? These are people who are looking for alternative income streams to boost their rapidly falling oil revenue and they are determined to ensure that they get the docile Nigerian masses to make up the difference so that they continue to reap where they did not sew.

The Nigerian masses are going to pay through their noses for PDP's 16 years of industrial scale economic mismanagement by way of massive tax increases, non payment of salaries, even more massive unemployment and removal of the so called subsidy. I pity Nigerians who actually believe that these scumbags care about the welfare of the people, the truth is they have no positive vision for Nigeria. Now that the main source of their looting is now in a state of freefall they are desperately looking for other ways to suck the NIgerian people dry and they will make you pay severely for their terrible incompetence.

stop displaying your ignorance for all to see... how can you make progress if you keep importing what you can get..to explain to you..do your family eat out 6/7 in the week. you will go bankrupt soon if you do...rather you eat more at home. evne the super rich ensures thay cok at home . same ti.. we are too import dependent ,..that way value of naira will continue to drop.simple..t he only way out is to produce at home..secondly that way you create employment....
sad to say , the Hausas are not interested in hard work or development ...
the policy is done to discourage you importing tokubo but buy made in Nigeria car....that is the way to start

Imagine imposing more hardship on a people who don't even have access to basic requirements such as stable electricity, water, health care and education. What a joke!
Tiny countries like Cuba have all of the above in place and they have been subject to an economic embargo from the US for over 50 years!