AGREED TO A CONGRESS ON 12TH APRIL TO FORM ELECTORAL AND
ELECTIONS PETITION COMMITTEES
NO GOING BACK ON CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS THIS SEMESTER!
It
was another thought-provoking session on April 3, 2013 at a public symposium
organized by the Students' Union Transition Committee (SUTC) at the Obafemi
Awolowo University(OAU) at Ile-Ife. The symposium discussed the theme,
"banning and unbanning of the OAU Students' Union; lessons from the past
and a journey into the future", as a way of finding the solution to the
continual proscription of OAU students' union.
Seasoned
workers' and youth activists (who were also ex-students' union leaders), like
H.T Soweto (Member of the Democratic Socialist Movement and National Coordinator
of the Education Rights Campaign, ERC), Kunle Ajayi (Wiseman), Olorunwa
Emmanuel (Goddey), Tobi Sofowora and others, took turns to discuss this topic
with Great Ife students.
While
giving the lead discussion, H.T. Soweto disapproved of the long stay of members
of the Transition Committee and called for an immediate congress to form
electoral and elections petition committees. The tumultuous applause that
accompanied Soweto's speech reflected the unanimous support his position gained
from the over 200 students present at the symposium. Similarly, other speakers
took turn to charge students on the need to continually mount pressure on the
SUTC to set up an electoral commission in a congress. The SUTC was also advised
not to elongate its stay out of sheer opportunism or treacherous loyalty to the
university administration, but to follow the popular demand of students for an
elected union.
The
response by students during the 'questions and comments' session of the
symposium reflects frustration and anger. Allegations of opportunism,
crookedness and insincerity of purpose were leveled against the SUTC by
students who spoke during this session. While answering and reacting to the
questions and comments, Soweto asked the SUTC to categorically state at the symposium
when a congress will be called to discuss the formation of electioneering
committees as earlier agreed. The Chairman of the SUTC, AY Toes, while stating
the committee's position on congress announced that a congress of students
would be convened at Amphi Theatre on Friday, April 12 by 8am.
Students
supported this SUTC proclamation, but however still expressed doubts about the
sincerity of the announcement. To avoid the SUTC backing off on the
arrangement, students demanded that an adhoc committee be formed to take up
aggressive mobilization for the congress whether the SUTC participates or not.
Consequently, a five person committee was formed to take up the mobilization
for the congress.
The
DSM and ERC OAU Chapters played a significant role in organizing the symposium.
Indeed it was the 9-day ultimatum issued by the ERC which forced the SUTC to
organize the symposium instead of the demanded congress. Even when the
symposium was announced, the DSM and ERC with other left organisations jointly
mobilized students to the SUTC symposium. The result of our mobilization is
indeed the far-reaching decisions reached at the symposium.
Procession for Chavez
In
our view, concrete progress is being made in the struggle for students' union
restoration. At the end of the symposium, students honoured the memory of the
late Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, with a candlelit procession. This was
in response to the call of the DSM members. The essence of this program was to
draw appropriate lessons from the political situation of Venezuela and as well
proffer the way forward for the working and poor people of Venezuela as well as
the next step for the Bolivarian revolution.
After
a small procession which took off from Anglo-Moz car park and ended at the
Students' Union Building (SUB) where there were discussions and debates on the
political situation in Venezuela and the important lessons to be drawn in
relation to Nigeria. While some referred to Venezuelan economy as "Socialist"
making reference to many of its populist policies and reforms in the education,
health as well as the nationalization of some parts of the economy, we, while
acknowledging these achievements, argued that this not yet genuine socialism.
Certain key sectors of the economy still remain in the hands of capitalists and
most of the very positive reforms carried out under Chavez were carried out
with a top-down approach in such a way that the Venezuelan working masses were
shut out. This has in turn led to big contradictions in the form of a corrupt
layer (the boli-bourgeoisie) developing on the back of Chavez movement thus
creating widespread discontent among the workers and poor masses.
While
Chavez's popularity among the masses was never in doubt until his death, this
cannot be said for other members of the state bureaucracy and Chavez movement
most of whom are widely hated and could only win elections by hiding behind
Chavez's appeal among the masses. This is what explains the growing support in
recent elections for the counter-revolutionary right. In reality, Venezuela is
at a cross-road between capitalism and genuine socialism. The fate of the
Bolivarian revolution and that of the important social reforms already achieved
are at risk now that Chavez is dead more than ever. We argued for a complete
break with capitalism and a rounded-out revolutionary socialist programme as
the only way to fully consummate the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. This
will require a bottom-top democratic control and management of the economy and
decision-making by the working masses themselves
It
is significant to note that millions of Venezuelans trooped out to mourn the
death of Hugo Chavez. This cannot be detached from the aforementioned policies
of the regime which meant a great difference for the working masses. It also
reflects the huge prospects of organising society in a democratic socialist
order. It however also shows the dire need to improve on this with the total
nationalization of the commanding heights of the Venezuelan economy and the
democratic control and management by the working and poor people of Venezuela.
The
programme ended with comrades urging the participants to join the Socialist
Party of Nigeria (SPN) as a step towards building a mass based working people's
alternative to the existing capitalist political parties that are incapable of
implementing pro-people's policies such as free education, free health care,
decent jobs, etc.
Wole
Olubanji
Secretary,
ERC OAU
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