THE STRUGGLE PUTS ON ANOTHER GOWN A fight to reject increment of levy

 At exactly 4:30pm on 22 September, 2016 the okada riders in their numbers gathered at the usual convergence to keep the fire of the struggle burning so it can touch the heaven against police brutality and the government

increment of levy on them in this period of economic recession led by the APC administration in the council.

The tempo of the struggle puts on another gown which prompts why the need to address the issues at hand left no choice to attach a political discussion on: THE NIGERIAN CRISIS AND THE BUILDING OF A MASS MOVEMENT. One of the activists/socialists (Fidel Davy) was given the centre stage to address the bike men on the fundamental causes of this crisis and the need for them to sustain the struggle.

SAIL WITH PERSPECTIVE

Sailing the boat from board to the sea, the socialist (a member of DSM) drop the ice of perspective in the language everyone would understand that Nigeria as a ship is sinking down every day as life gets more difficult and terrible for the working people. And the government on their part is coming out to unleash policies that will further grind us pieces with tax and levy at this period of “economic recession”, instead of reform that will relief the hard condition currently being faced by people.

He said. “The scale in our eyes should be removed to understand that this government has failed all of us in this country”. They have been unable to put the Change into reality to effect on the lives of people through introducing policies that will bail the crisis of education, water, electricity, housing etc. instead, he continued. “It is continuous attack through policies like privatization taking the centre stage of everything”.

The fifty six years of Nigerian Independence is a crystal indication that in all these years, government of different sigil in same philosophy hasn’t been able to sail the masses out from the growing increase of poverty in Nigeria. What we have seen in simplicity he said. Government has continued to roll out policies of privatization, commercialization of key sectors which the Buhari government in recent time has shown clearly whom they are.

With the introduction of tax and levy at this period of economic recession, he continued .It is to add to the burden of people like the okada riders struggling to barely feed every day. In igniting the euphoria of the meeting, the socialist addressing the bike men drop drip of further perspective in respect of the new increased levy and tax by the council government through their assigned contractors.

He frankly said.“The new increment of levy and tax by the government in recent time is to force it down our throat for us to pay with our blood against the crisis they created by their own hands and policies”. This is the very nature of what this government represents. He continued. “They are simply telling us through this increment, we should be prepared for their sword to cut us down like rat”. And as the lead-off ran for 15 minutes, more of the okada riders began to troop into the venue en-mass.

The expression written on the faces of the okada riders confirmed how the council government has been victimizing them with all kind of levies and taxes. For majority of them they want this struggle to put an end to the victimization over them as dark cloud, taking them into the cemetery for burial. Many of the riders heart have already been stabbed with brutal policies making it difficult to feed their families with the peanut earn with their bike.

The lead-off took the memory of the okada riders to the historic moment of 1 and 3 April, 2010 and 22 March, 2016 respectively for them to learn from; that this struggle required their collective effort to break the spine of police brutality and multiple-tax policy by the government at this period of economic roll-back. Without them, the lead-off like paradox states that building towards the direction of collectivity, the government and their community allied will crush them like roaches so to jubilate over our downfall.

The relevance of that historic moment in Ajegunle community he said is not out of place that will be flush out in our memory forever. Or, be torn from the exponential experience of the organized fighters then who collectively with a singular slogan that demanded an end to police raiding, harassment, brutality and forceful arrest of people which sometimes leads to killing of innocent people by the police officers rudely.

The importance of such experience, the socialist patiently explained, it is for the bike men to draw inspiration from such struggle, which to them should be a classical example of holding still the baton of victory and learn hugely from that experience. For them, it will serve as a source of better understanding the effect collectivism and the role of clear leadership in sailing the boat to land of victory with better strategy and task attached to it.

He ignites the tempo of psyche of the riders with these words: “the victory of their struggle lies in the consistence of the organization never to roll-back in action no matter what is at stake. It is for the organization (CAPEKIC) to remain steadfast logically at all time and build the consciousness of the fighters to the climax of victory with a better strategy”.

As the socialist was talking with passion towards the endnote of the lead-off, he quickly stretches his hands to the bulletin of the Social Democracy publication recently published, which to him is an “organizer bulletin” to organize the mass; that the okada riders should encourage each other to get a copy of this paper, read through and understand the ideas behind it. It is going to help them organize collectively with better strategy to earn victory.

Briefly as part of his endnote warns that the okada riders in whatever sense shouldn’t unleash attack on their Union leaders. But see the government as the first primary enemy responsible to the increment. That the union, no matter how dilapidated the bureaucracy has eaten down into the structure of the three Unions, the struggle is gear politically to teach them on how to fight a good well organize fight against the current crisis digging the grave of this country. 

The union (the endnote expresses as part of the lead-off) should been seen as their vanguard to be used in organizing themselves against any form of victimization. But it is unfortunate the bureaucrats were sleeping-off in principle in organizing their members for fight back against the policies politically. However, the union for socialists and leaders of CAPEKIC isn’t the first enemy we should roar at in struggle but the government. That is the scientific purpose of this struggle, he said.

INTERMITTENTLY

In-between the navigation of the euphoric meeting of the okada riders heading towards contributions, task and resolution; a section of Union representatives intermittently walked into the populated okada riders ranging to 150 with shivered legs presumed to be bold in confidence to enquired who were the organizer of the meeting without first identifying who they are.

Actually, their intention was to disrupt the okada meeting or provoke the peaceful gathering of people to earn advantage. But because of how the meeting was well organized by leaders of CAPEKIC and the entire riders who in consciousness displayed “maturity” due to the training acquire in several of the meetings held, they didn’t bother to pay a drop of attention to their Union representatives presence.

In order not to allow advantage rest their hands to the detriment of the meeting, about two of the leaders of CAPEKIC had to excuse them for a separate impromptu “leadership meeting” to clear some issues and make the so-called Unionists putting on the apron of bureaucracy to understand the purpose of this gathering.

From the observed psychology of the three Union representatives (MOALS, ANACOWA and ACOMORAN) they were shocked over the numbers of okada riders they saw in the meeting. There fear was that their members will dissipate some level of unorganized act on them. In their utmost imagination, it is impossible seeing their members rally in an organize way to discuss their problems and strategically proffer a way forward.

As they leave the middle of the meeting with anger building itself in their mentality, artistically drawn in their faces like an artist painting monster as Cinderella. One of the okada riders making contribution sharply drop pounce of these: “It is time they (bike men) organize themselves to go for Hunger Strike and let people know what really they are passing through in the hands of council government”.

IN THE MIDDLE OF IT

In the middle of the whole sea, leaders of CAPEKIC were able to calm the psychological evaporation of the Union leaders in the “impromptu” leadership meeting proper. They made them to understand the genesis of this struggle and how far it has gone.

They said the struggle has crossed a lot of rivers most especially the historic protest of 22 March, 2016 and 1 and 3 April, 2010 respectively against the brutality of the citizens by the policy and in relation to the recent increment of levy by the APC government in power in the council.

One of the union representative (MOALS) who was at the “impromptu leadership meeting” picked a statement made by one of the okada riders in the course of the meeting. “We”, he said, shouldn’t allow the okada riders to go on with such proposal for protest. “They” can’t be trusted, he continued, because they can possibly display anarchism.

He was saying this out of fear of the “might” of the okada riders aftermath of what he saw few minutes past in the meeting, the tempo of activism and agitation of the riders and their sharp demand of going for “Hunger Strike” against the government policy; if this whole thing continue.

 

The socialists who were part of the meeting told the Union representatives that this is where they comes in to defend their members interest against the draconian government policies of roasting people alive. Instead of hiding inside the hole of panicking, they should seize the opportunity this struggle provides them to prove to their members that they are on their side.

This is not to mean (one of the socialist correctly posit) that the leaders of the three Unions (MOALS, ACOMORAN and ANACOWA) shouldn’t see themselves as opportunist to misinterpret the whole scientific essence of the struggle. But open their mind largely to the objective purpose of this struggle calling them to be part of it.

In the middle of the whole discussion, the perspective was made clear atmospherically. “We” are not opposing the Union neither ignite the okada riders against them who gathered to demonstrate their anger over the inhuman act of the state unleash on your members for numbers of years with policies that attack them.

According to the member of DSM speaking, he said. “History is falling on your shoulder to politically come all out as active Unions with pro-oriented demand to organize your members peacefully and collectively demand the government running anti-poor policies to reverse the levy back to #50: 00”. Doing this, he continued, will puts your Union on the edge of reviving the lost glory (if possibly) it is there, by convincing your members while the government remain the first enemy not the Union.

HARDLY FOR THE FLAME TO GO DOWN

It was hardly for the flame to go down because the okada riders have resolved their mind in the circle of this demand: “government must reverse to #50: 00 than the #100: 00 imposed on them”. Also, the “unions must scrap the Maintenance Ticket and come all out to defend them as members over this increment”. For majority of the bike men present at the meeting, this is what really was in their mind.

From the understanding of 150????? of them who made contributions, asked question and even proposed method they think can fertilize the seed of this struggle to grow more struggle; confirmed that the struggle can’t drop pressure at this time the flame is seriously burning. In the minds of the okada riders, it will be suicidal at this time for the struggle to bend for compromise, now the momentum has developed to a stage with cleared demand. 

And as the flame burns in their soul and even gushed out in the various contributions and suggestion made; all the okada riders collectively agreed they won’t turn back till they  get victory. This is the utmost thing for them in this struggle as one of them said in the course of the meeting. However, this also calls for the consistence of the leadership of CAPEKIC never to begin to entertain tactical apology or excuses in their method and approach in the struggle.

The struggle putting on another gown for the okada riders as one of the Task Force leaders said. “It has gotten to a stage that this struggle requires us mobilizing all the okada Units in Boundary axis, Wilmer/Kirikiri, Tolu, Mosafejo, Ago Hausa/New Road, etc to join in this struggle against the newly imposed levy on them by the government”.  This is the greatest task ahead of us bike men to propagate this on-going struggle to all the Units that we must all come out to fight our way out from oppression, he concluded.

SOURCE: LIFEINSLUM (Fidel Davy)