Baba Aye's

Comrade Baba Aye, a veteran trade expert and activist, is Co-Convener of the Coalition for Revolution (CORE) and a Council Member of Progressive International (PI). Baba Aye, former Deputy National Secretary, Labour Party (LP) and former National Convener, United Action for Democracy (UAD), during the June 12 struggle and a member of the National Implementation Committee of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), in this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU , speaks on the 66th Independence anniversary from a socialist point of view. Excerpt: Nigerians are in the Independence anniversary week. Looking at the state of the nation, do you think the 66th Independence anniversary is worth celebrating? The exit of colonial rulers could not have but, been a welcome development in 1960. Even today, we cannot discountenance it as a historic moment, despite reservations we do have about its significance and rightly so. The working masses – workers, peasants, poor women and marginalised youths – who ralli...

As Nigeria commemorated its 65th Independence Day anniversary, I spoke with Ejikeme Omenazu of the Independent newspapers on several issues dwelling on the history and current situation of Nigeria, ranging from how far the country has fared, to the Civil War, the so-called indivisibilty of Nigeria, the non-difference-difference, if I may of the different sections of the local ruling class, the travails of Omoyele Sowore and Aliko Dangote's union bursting antics.  It is now 65 years after Nigeria's independence; how has the country fared so far? It depends on the question of which class you are talking about. Nigeria has fared badly for working-class people. At independence, workers, poor farmers and the urban poor were not as badly off as they are now. Hunger and insecurity did not stalk the land. They yearned for things to be better. They had high hopes that with independence, their lives would become better still. But it did not take them long to see that this was not goin...