Baba Aye's

The Great Anti-SAP Revolts and thereinafter 1989 was one of those years that represent a turning point in history. A wind of mass anger threw away authoritarian regimes behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe, students took over Tiananmen Square in China, the Berlin Wall fell paving the way towards German re-unification. And in Nigeria, there was a mass upsurge like none other since 1 October 1960. This was a revolt against the structural adjustment programme and the legendary spate of corruption of the General Ibrahim Babangida-led junta, in the midst of rising poverty. From 24 May, all hell was let loose for almost two weeks. Students ignited a wildfire of action, with the first spark struck at Benin, where Uniben students took to the streets. This immediately spread to Ibadan and then Ilorin, where activist students mobilised thousands of students from UI and Unilorin (and Kwara Poly) respectively on to the streets. They were joined in no time by other angry youths. Ea...

for all who fell on Black Wednesday, 30 years back all who lived through it and came to our conclusions all who have trudged on, at different times, in our vehicle of its aftermath all who seek, fight, and keep forging on still, even when the skies are dark all Mayists, Marxists and any who seek the Nigerian revolution that keep hope and struggle alive ***************************************************************************** The heat and passion crushed In that hour, the zeal and heroic Confrontation, snuffed for a while By bullets and bayonets ....did outlive the deaths and imprisonments: From Black Wednesday, would a movement Be born. A critique of critiques and which thus Did and still must critique itself. The manure compost Wrought by fascist thugs, does from flutter the flower, we are Stirrings legacies never die, when they stir would-be stirrers It seems so long a journey since and yet so near in time So much distances covered but so few the places o...

The following is a thread of the letter of resignation of J.Gaskie as Coordinator of the SWM (and self-suspension of his membership) in August 2009 and the organisation's response half a year later, after several attempts to win him back                                    *********************************** Comrades All, A time comes in the life of every organisation and individual, when it becomes critically important to take a step back and reflect on course of history as it is has impacted on one, as well as one has impacted on it. Such a time has come for me, as i believe it has also come for the organisation, our platform, our movement. A number of things have been developing over the last few years, accelerated by the dysfunction in the movement occassioned by the toll of the retreats suffered on various fronts of the struggle in which we had been pivotal and active. The strugg...

JG's posting below is definitely that which I have been most reluctant to respond to on this serve. A little background on this would suffice, to put the reason why in its apt perspective. Events of the 'Black Wednesday' exactly twenty years ago which signaled both the climax and the crushing of the anti-SAP revolt, led us to some conclusions on organising and organization. Ever since then, we have committed ourselves to building and providing leadership to the socialist platform of May, which today is the Socialist Workers' Movement.  I would have wished to keep my positions on the posting and having the first inkling of the below being JG's thinking, only through that same posting, off this serve. But it would, I believe be a passive, if not active form of political dishonesty and a strand of sectarianism, apart from the fact that it would have been downright unfair, to others whom I have had to engage with on similar views....including leading comrades fro...