Nigeria

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 9, an indefinite general strike is scheduled to start in Nigeria. The reason for the announced strike is another increase in the price of fuel, which follows on from last June's increase which provoked an 8-day general strike. The country is now bracing itself for a major confrontation between the classes. What is being prepared is a colossal clash between the mass of working people and the privileged few who sit at the top.

We only received this analysis of last June's general strike in Nigeria a few weeks after it was written. This was due to technical reasons. Although we published several articles at the time of the strike, we believe the present article will be of interest to our readers as it was written by Nigerian Marxists inside the country.

Last week's general strike in Nigeria revealed the enormous power of the working class. Unfortunately, once again they have been betrayed by their leaders. The government has got away with a 30% increase in the price of fuel! It is time to build the left in the unions and a mass workers' party.

An Editorial Board statement of the Workers' Alternative on the outcome of the June general strike and the political conclusions that can be drawn from it.

The masses in Nigeria are showing enormous willingness to struggle. It is now spreading to the a key sector, the oil workers. But this militancy is not matched by the leaders of the unions who are negotiating with the government a reduced increase in the price of oil. That is not why millions of workers have been out on strike for.

The workers of Nigeria are once again on the move with the start of today's indefinite general strike. This is a first report about what is happening there. Further analysis will follow in the next few days.

We have received reports on the latest developments at the OAU in Ife, Nigeria, from the students involved in the struggle. In spite of a determined effort by the student leaders to stop the massive fees increase, because of many factors, not least the totally treacherous role of the student leadership nationally (NANS), for now the authorities have managed to impose their measures. But this is not going to be the end of the story.

The need for clarification on what has been happening at the OAU (Ife, Nigeria) is very urgent considering the level of propaganda and outright lies and distortions that the authorities have been churning out to the international community. Here we are publishing a reply from the students involved in the struggle.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the first edition of the Workers' Alternative, the Nigerian Marxist journal. It has not been easy keeping the banner of genuine Marxism flying in the conditions that prevail in Nigeria but the comrades have kept going thanks to the support and encouragement from their numerous supporters and readers, inside and outside Nigeria. Now to mark the anniversary they are making an appeal for more support.

Five years after the fall of the hated military dictator of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha, we look at why he came to power and why in the end the same ruling elite that had supported him was forced to intervene to remove for fear of the mass movement that was building up from below.

The OAU University authorities are trying to stalemate negotiations with the student union, further enraging the mass of students. Keep sending in your protest messages. Today we received important protest message from Greek trade unionists and youth and from the Spanish School Students' Union. By Isiaka Adegbile, one of the victimised students.

An interesting insight into the proliferation of religious superstition in Nigeria over the past few years, a reflection of the impasse of society.

It all began when the Prof. Rogers-led university management indicated their intention to blow up the payable fees in the university from N590.00 to N4,500 for the old students and from N1,500 to N9,500 for the new students. The crisis has been lingering since then.

The boss needs a rest. He goes home and locks the doors to the factory. A fire breaks out and a hundred workers are burnt alive as they desperately try to escape. The horror of 21st century capitalism in Nigeria.

This article, written by a Nigerian trade union leader argues the case against privatisation of the state-run NEPA electricity company.