A-Infos (en) Nigerian MAY DAY

["Lucien W." <029WALT@cosmos.wits.ac.za>]

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>
>>X-Sender: olisa@rcl.nig.com
>>X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.1 (16)
>>Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 15:11:40
>>To: Oghenemano.E.Edigheji@smu.ntnu.no
>>From: Olisa Agbakoba & Associates <olisa@rcl.nig.com>
>>Subject: UAD message 3 & May 1 activities
>>
>>UNITED ACTION FOR DEMOCRACY (UAD)
>
>1A Hussey Street
>Off Herbert Macaulay Way
>Jibowu, Yaba - Lagos
>Tel: 234-1-860456/862412
>Fax: 234-1-5876876
>E-mail: olisa@rcl.nig.com  
>
>
>
>April 23, 1998
>
>UNITED ACTION FOR DEMOCRACY MESSAGE 3
>
>
>   ACTION NOW!!!
>
>The time for coordinated movement to defeat General Abacha at whatever he
comes up with is surely at hand. We need to work out modalities for
interlinking our networks and harnessing our energies to give 3 months of
sustained mobilization to Nigerian peoples so that it will be very clear to
all that the outcome of a Referendum will be a Resounding No.  
>
>So please stand ready to support the UAD in your own way. What you do may
be the simple things but they all add up. Thanks. 
>
>What follows is the outline for May 1 action.
>
>
>Olisa Agbakoba
>Convener (United Action for Democracy) 
>
>  FRIDAY 1ST MAY, 1998
>
>A CALL FOR NATIONWIDE MASS ACTIONS AGAINST 
>ABACHA DICTATORSHIP AND THE MILITARY
>
>The first day of May (May Day) every year is observed by workers all over
the world as a day of Solidarity in their global struggles against
exploitation and oppression and for freedom and prosperity.
>
>On this historic day this year, that is on Friday 1st May, 1998, the
United Action for Democracy (UAD) calls on the Nigerians people - workers,
farmers, traders, professionals, students, the youths - to organize and
participate in mass actions all over the country to free our nation from
military dictatorship and chase out the Abacha junta.
>
>These May Day mass actions will be a practical demonstration of our
solidarity with millions of Nigerian Workers who, for over four years, have
been pauperized, marginalised and repressed by the junta. These mass
actions are also to further show our firm resolve and solid determination
as a people not only to bring an end to military misrule but also to defeat
the attempt of Abacha and his cohorts (both within and outside the
military) to stay in power for over via the Abacha self-succession plot.
>
>ABACHA'S CRIMES AGAINST NIGERIAN WORKERS
>
>*  Mass retrenchment of millions of workers. Between 1995 and 1997
alone,the following number of workers were sacked: 500 (Central Bank), 1000
(Customs), 2042 (Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company), 3000
(NNPC), 2000 (Nigeria Airways), 2500 (NITEL), 7000 (Kwara State), 1200
(Cross River), 5300 (Enugu State), 1300 (Benue State), 30,000 (Kaduna
State) and so on. 133,000 workers are reported to have lost their jobs in
>1997 and 11,000 workers between January - February 1998. 150,000 Federal
Civil Servants are still to be retrenched.
>
>*  Non-review of workers' poverty wages while abacha and his cronies misuse
and embezzle public funds worth billions of naira through self-succession
campaigns, FSP, FEAP, etc.
>
>*  High rate of unemployment.
>
>*  Ban of NLC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, ASUU, NASU, SSATHURAI
>
>*  Replacement of collective bargaining in industrial relations       with
unilateral military comnandism.
>
>*  Detention without trial of Frank Kokori (NUPENG, General
Secretary) and Milton Dabibi (PENGASSAN, General Secretary)
  because of the role of their unions in the 1993/1994 pro-      democracy
struggles.
>
>*  Denial of right to organize to workers in the so-called
essential services (e.g., Mint, CBN, Customs).
>
>*  Anti-Labour decrees (e.g., decrees 4, 24, 26 and 29 of 1996)
to further cripple trade unions.
>
>   ABACHA'S ATROCITIES AGAINST NIGERIAN PEOPLE
>
>*  Perpetual fuel shortage and incessant power blackout.
>
>*  Food, clothing, housing, education, healthcare and other           basic
human needs are now luxuries beyond the reach of           overwhelming
majority of Nigerians despite our country's      enormous human and
material resources.
>
>*  Breaking his 1993 promises of having a short tenure and not
participating in the transition programme.
>
>*  Continued annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential      election.
>
>*  Detention without trial of MKO Abiola, Shehu Sanni, Beko
Ransome-Kuti, Chris Anyanwu and scores of other pro-          democracy
activists, journalists and politicians.
>
>*  Death of Shehu Musa Yar'adua in prison custody and the
hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 other Ogoni activists.
>
>*  Framing up, secret and unfair trial of military officers,
journalists and pro-democracy activists for alleged coup      plotting.
>
>*  Execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni
minority/environmental rights activists, and the       militarisation of
the entire oil-producing Niger
>      Delta area.
>
>*  Imposition of Sole Administrators on Universities and
expulsion of almost 300 students activists for demanding       free and
qualitative education and
>      independent student's unionism.
>
>*  Bloody communal clashes (Ife/Modakeke, Ijaw/Itsekiri,
Tivs/Junkuns, etc) due to insensitive, self-centred and
militarist handling of issues of local governance.
>
>*  Flagrant violation of Nigerian's freedom of liberty,
expression, association, assembly and our right to life and      human
dignity.
>
>*  Imposition of an undemocratic, exclusive and manipulated so-
called transition programme in which only military              apologists
are free to partake, and programmed towards        Abacha's self-succession.
>
>Fellow Nigerian people, any continuation of military rule of Abacha's
transformation to a "civilian" president can only bring more misery,
increasing hardship, greater oppression and further instability and chaos
upon us and our potentially great nation. Therefore we must arise up and be
prepared to take part in the series of Mass Action meant to liberate
ourselves and our country from the shackles of tyrants and megalomaniacs.
>
>Remember that evil triumphs wherever and whenever men and women of
goodwill keep silent.
>
>
>ABACHA MUST GO NOW!
>
>WHAT TO DO ON FRIDAY 1ST MAY, 19980
>
>-  Workers should stay away from work. Market women and men      should
lock their stalls. Drivers and conductors should keep their vehicles off
the road.
>
>-  We must understand that no sacrifice is too great to free     the
country and ourselves.
>
>-  Organize and take part in rallies and mass meetings in your  neighbourhood.
>
>-  Set up action committees to coordinate the struggle in your    area and
link up with UAD.
>
>OUR DEMANDS
>
>1.. An end to mass retrenchment. Recall of all sacked workers.
>
>2. A minimum living wage for all workers with regular increases
to match the rate of inflation.
>
>3. Independence of trade unions with complete freedom from the
           control of government and employers.
>
>4. Immediate elections into NLC, NUPENG and PENGASSAN to be
organized by workers and the industrial unions.
>
>5. deproscription of ASUU, NASU, SSATHURAL and other banned       unions.
>
>6. Repeal of all anti-labour decrees.
>
>7. Abolition of all anti-people economic policies including the
Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). An improved, better             and
abundant socio-economic life for the mass of our       people.
>
>8. No to importation of fuel and currency while Nigeria's
refineries and Mint are being neglected and destroyed.
>
>9. Immediate and uncondition release of all political       detainees.
>
>10.    Immediate end to military dictatorship and the transfer of
power to a Transitional Government of National Unity headed       by the
winner of the June
>
>11, 1993 presidential election, on the condition that such a
government will comprise elected representatives of mass       democratic
groups in the country and shall implement the       programmes mass movement.
>
>12.    Independent convocation of a democratically elected     SOVEREIGN
NATIONAL CONFERENCE on the basis of proportionate            representation
of social force such as workers, farmers,       professionals, traders,
women, minority groups, etc.
>
>13.    A popular democratic transition programme that will usher in
   genuine multi-party democracy.
>
>
>ISSUED BY:  United Action for Democracy (UAD) April 1998. 
>
>

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