THE Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M) Thursday condemned Kaduna State government for unleashing thugs on workers who were peacefully protesting against the recent mass sack of workers by the state government.
TPAP-M, a political coalition of citizens organisations and social movements committed to the emergence of a mass workers party and the socialist transformation of Nigeria, in a press statement signed by Prof Omotoye Olorode and Comrade Jaye Gaskia from the organisations secretariat, said it is alarmed by the unprecedented recklessness of the Kaduna State government to the legitimate and justified strike of workers against the mass sack of workers and massive attacks on the conditions of work.
In the statement entitled; “Solidarity With Nigerian Workers: Against State Repression,” TPAP-M also condemn Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna State governor, for declaring NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba wanted and mobilising youths as thugs to attack workers. It said these actions of the Kaduna state government is representative of ruling class impunity and incompetence.
“We condemn in unequivocal terms the disgraceful actions of the El-Rufai-led government of Kaduna State against the workers and working peoples of the state; we reject and condemn the purported illegal declaration of the person of the National President of the NLC as a wanted person. Just as we condemn the mobilisation of alienated, disillusioned, and hungry youths as thugs to attack workers’ peaceful processions in the state.
“This actions of the Kaduna state government, which is representative of the impunity of this incompetent ruining ruling class, is a tragic manifestation of the governance failure foisted on our nation.
“A government and ruling class whose policies, actions and inactions is responsible for the impoverisation and deprivations faced by the youth, turns round to mobilise and pay them pittances to send them on deadly missions as thugs to attack legitimate gatherings of working peoples.
“This is proof that for this ruling class, workers are mere cogs in the wheel of their rapacious greed, and that young persons are only good to be used as thugs!” TPAP-M stated.
While declaring its “unwavering solidarity with the workers of Kaduna state, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the wider labour movement” TPAP-M called for the continuation of the “battle until victory is assured.” It called on all freedom-loving Nigerians to support and mobilise active solidarity with the Kaduna workers.
“This active strike must continue,” TPAP-M declared adding that “we must not allow our forces to be divided, nor must we allow the suppression of our collective actions.
“Any government that sees workers as nuisance, and civil and public servants as dispensable, clearly lacks even the smallest understanding of governance. No wonder the ruling class in general has made a mess of governance and brought our nation to the brink of precipitous collapse, with rampaging insecurity, unleashed mass misery, deepening poverty, and unprecedented levels of rising unemployment.
“While we must remain focused and determined in this current struggle to ensure that workers win in Kaduna State, we must realise that the ultimate solution to the problem of governance vacuum and ruling class leadership failure, lies in the political terrain, and will require that the working class, the labouring masses and their allies enter consciously, decisively, and massively unto the political arena, contest political power with the ruling class, and take political power, and utilise it in the interest of the popular masses and the working peoples.
“As we urge unwavering solidarity with the Kaduna workers and the NLC, we also call on all workers and working people in Nigeria to come and join with us to build The Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M), as we organise politically and mount a concerted, deliberate, principled and ideological challenge for political power in the country.
“We also note the growing intolerance of the state at all levels; we equally note that the identities of the demographics and patterns of anti-NLC attack and the attacks on the #EndSARS protests are similar – deprived and alienated youth, among others!
“It is clear from these incidences that attacks against the oppressed don’t discriminate among regions, tribes or religion of the oppressed!
“The lesson for the working peoples and labouring masses of our country is that the problems we confront are rooted in the ruthless exploitation of the working peoples and labouring masses by this unconscionable ruling class, and not as a result of our different ethnic, religious or regional backgrounds.
“Finally, we also express our solidarity with striking judicial (JUSUN), Parliamentary (PASAN), and Polytechnic (ASUP) Workers across the country, urge public support for these strikes, and call on Federal and state governments across the country to meet the demands of these workers immediately.”
