By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Worried by the crisis rocking the Labour Party, the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) on yesterday, advocated rebuilding of the party to a true working people party by the Nigeria Labour Union (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress, (TUC).
The movement in a statement in Ibadan by its National Organising Secretary Peluola Adewale, the crisis in the Labour Party should be seen as a clarion call for the rebuilding of the party as a true working people party.
DSM pointed out that in the rebuilding process, the NLC and TUC should convene a special conference that include trade unions, socialist and left organisations, left coalition like TPAMP and JAF, and LP leaders, members and elected public officers”.
” We call on the Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC to commence the process of rebuilding the party as a true party of the working people. As a first step towards this, we propose that the NLC and TUC convene a special conference that include trade unions, socialist and left organisations, left coalition like TPAMP and JAF, and LP leaders, members and elected public officers”, it said.
DSM added, ” we hold that such a conference should agree that for the party to become a genuine working people party it must be based on a fighting working people program and its affairs run democratically. This means that its officers, party candidates and public representatives must not subscribe to neo-liberal capitalist program which attacks condition of working people, youth and the poor”.
” Indeed, we will argue at the conference for a socialist program that includes nationalisation of commanding heights of the economy under democratic management and control by working people. The conference should also agree that the party must not preserve its ticket for money bags but make it possible for an average worker or any ordinary person who is willing to also vie for it”.
DSM emphasized further, ” this means that the ticket must be free and the party conducts credible primary election to choose its candidates. The practice of changing nomination fee, let alone a very outrageous fee, as a condition to stand as candidate in election is alien to the tradition of a workers party’
” The affairs of the party including participation in election should be financed from members subscription, grants from trade unions, donations from public officials, donation from the public and sympathisers, etc. In other words, the culture of consistent financial commitment to the party by party members and supporters must be encouraged. However, this means that the party has to, in and out of office, intervene in the daily struggles of working people and youth in order to win both political and financial support.
“The elected and public officers must receive average salary of skilled workers in addition to incidental allowances and donate the rest of their official pays to the party and working people and youth struggles. It is also imperative that there must be democratic accountability and transparency in the management of finances of the party”
It maintained, ” we of the DSM are committed to join any effort and initiative for building a mass working people party including the transformation of the current Labour Party into the true party of the workers, youth and poor for the socialist transformation of the Nigeria state and its economy’.
