initiating a struggle for what would have seemed simple and only natural!

Date: Friday, April 10, 2009, 8:16 PM

Dear compatriots,
Once again, I can not but start by commending your leadership roles in ensuring the summoning of the March 21 meeting. That it held is as well something to be cherished by all patriotic and change-seeking Nigerians.

I am however constrained to ask the following questions:

* When is the communique (and even if with less urgency: report of proceedings) be issued?

=> in my opinion, and from the traditions I work within of the trade union movement (I have similarly noticed this in a number of CSO platforms I have participated in), the communique is actually something to be issued immediately after a Conference. This vests it with the legitimacy of being an expression of the resolve of the meeting's participants, just as they see it and did there and then resolve on. This is is iportant for constructing mandate as a popular articulation, in my view, please.

Thus, three weeks after, could we be better appraised on why it has not yet been issued? when will it be issued?

* What timeline, if any, was resolved on for the working paper?

=> In my opinion, resolving on something as strategic as a working people for taking the efforts forward without deadlines attached to it in a world that is presently in a flux like, probably, never before.

It should be noted too, I would opine, that since such a paper would as well still have to be discussed, debated and popularized, the sooner the better. It should not be when another meeting is fixed that we should then start seeking the working paper and its contents.

* What next, beyond the above?
=. Obviously what next would be very much tied to the working paper, in particular. It however can not be reduced to that.

How do we ensure that the March 21 meeting does not go down in the liberation history of Nigeria as a mere episodic flash in the pan, despite the enthusiasm it evoked?

Are there plans to link up with other, if any, similar efforts, including as well, progressive partisan structures and the unions?

The communique might help clarify on some of these. This is why I have for example, not bothered thus far to engage on these questions...while eagerly awaiting the communique (and proceedings' report). But when it begins to take like a lifetime for the communique to be issued....


On a final note, I must say that for a project such as this which I think we are committed to, maintaining the momentum of initiative is almost as crucial as -if not more crucial, than- seizing the initiative which is what March 21 (and organizing towards it), amounts to.

I do salute your courage and steadfastness as well as that of all on the list serve who made the Conference I success. With the roles you three have played thus far though, I could not but raise these my queries, first to you.

I would very much appreciate a feedback on my inquiries, please.

Patriotic regards,

Baba Aye

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