Communique of the United Action for Democracy Extra Ordinary and Expanded National Coordinating Council (NCC) Meeting held on March 2nd to 4th 2012 at the Women development Centre Agege, Lagos.

Introduction:

The United action for Democracy,
UAD held an extraordinary and
expanded session of its National
Coordinating Council meeting
between March 2nd and 3rd, 2012
at the Women Development Centre
in Lagos State to reflect on the
January uprising and the state of
the nation, towards consolidating on
the gains won by the popular
masses such as;

a. Increased popular awareness
of the extent and depth of
corruption, impunity and poor
governance that pervade the
management of the Nigerian
economy, especially the oil sector.

b. Heightened National
consciousness as Nigerians rose and
marched together demanding
fundamental social change, while all
artificial edifice of social, religious
and cultural divides collapsed.
Delegates from old and new
affiliates and solidarity organizations
discussed extensively on the
current situation in the country and
the unfolding possibilities for
building and holding popular power
and resolved thus:

1. The January uprising was a
popular upheaval of the poor and
suffering Nigerian against the dire
and worsening state of poverty,
corruption and impunity in high
places and disillusionment with the
ruling elite in Nigeria which was
ignited by the hike in fuel price.

2. The NCC in session commends
the dedicated and tireless struggle
of the masses during the uprising
and considers the trade union
suspension of the general strike at
its peak as being rather
unfortunate. UAD however notes
that while the outcome was a partial
victory because of the betrayal,
Nigerian people all the same were
victorious, because we dared to
struggle.

3. The NCC in session was of the
view that the UAD intensified mass
mobilization along with other
progressive social forces since the
8th UAD convention in Benin City in
August 2011 was useful for forging
solidarity of the masses across the
length and breadth of Nigeria,
towards the mobilising for,
organising and coordinating the
uprising.
Realizing that the Nigerian State is
still committed to further hiking the
price of petrol by April 2012
(according to PPPRA, the expected
market opening price for petrol as at
end of Februay is 165 Naira), the
UAD shall henceforth commence
intensive mobilization in preparation
for mass revolutionary action
against this and other anti people
policy and for system change.

4. The NCC in session analyzed
the attempt by the Federal
Government through some of its
officials such as Ngozi Okonjo
Iweala, the Minister of Finance to
incorporate segments of civil society
into some ‘consensus’ supposedly
reflecting ‘consultations’ by mid
March on the intent of the state to
further hike the price of petrol. UAD
considers this as dishonest and as
efforts to hoodwink Nigerians since
the Federal Government has made
it clear that it is still bent on
confronting the Nigerian people.
The NCC in session thus resolved
that the UAD and its officials will not
be part of such ‘negotiations’. We
insist that petrol price be reversed
to N65 per litre.

5. The NCC in session note the
fact that revelations by the Federal
House of Representatives on
‘Subsidy Regime Management’
confirm the position of UAD and the
mass of Nigerians that it was the
corrupt enrichment of a minority
and not the affordability of fuel for
the vast majority of Nigerians that
was being subsidized. UAD however
can perceive a pattern similar to the
probe of the power sector which
revealed massive corruption without
any actions being taken. UAD thus
calls for the prosecution of all
individuals and corporate bodies
found to have been the beneficiaries
of the supposed ‘subsidy’. Further,
we call we call for the immediate
resignation or sacking of Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo Iweala: Minister of Finance,
Diezani Allison- Madueke: Minister of
Petroleum, and Labaran Maku: the
Minister of Information for their
demonstrated culpability by acts of
omission or commission in the fuel
subsidy, the anti people hike in the
price of petrol and the conscious
promotion of lies to cover up the
truth.

6. The NCC in session viewed the
President Goodluck Jonathan
scrapping of the hastily conceived
SURE programme as yet another
demonstration of the bad faith and
utter disdain of the Nigerian people
by this regime in particular, and the
ruling political elite in general.
Considering the facts that monies
accrued from January with the
increase of N32 per litre over the
amount appropriated in the 2011
budget that will not lapse until
March 31st 2012; with the
revelations of mismanagement of
‘subsidy’ funds; Nigerians cannot
but be suspicious of how the funds
generated from January are being
spent. UAD thus calls for full
disclosure on the matter to the
Nigerian people.

7. Further, the NCC in session
considered the upsurge of Boko
Haram and sundry low intensity
warfare in the country as being
reflective of the fundamental
contradictions of the country’s socio
economic system. While noting the
grouse of Nigerians against this
system, UAD condemns acts of
terror in whatever guise (by
individuals, groups or indeed the
state) against Nigerian citizens and
call for the united action of
Nigerians towards their self
emancipation.

8. The NCC in session
categorically condemns the looming
hike in electricity tariff as being yet
another anti people policy of the
Nigerian State. It is noteworthy that
billions of dollars have ostensibly
been spent to improve the power
supply but cannot be accounted for.
Nigerian people must not be made
to bear the brunt of corruption in
high places. Nigerians must rise up
in united action to stop this decay.

9. UAD calls on Nigerians to be
ready for a new phase of the
struggle for our self emancipation
from the corrupt, treasury looting,
clueless and directionless ruling
elite. UAD further calls on Nigerians
not to be deceived by Town Hall
Meetings and ‘consultations’ meant
to merely legitimize the full
deregulation of the downstream
sectors of the oil industry. We must
be ready to wage this struggle to its
logical conclusion- the
enthronement of popular and mass
democratic polity and socio-
economic system.

Conclusion:

The NCC enjoined its growing base
of affiliates (old, new and aspiring)
and state structures to consolidate
on the expansion of networks of the
masses as unity of the down
trodden is central to our victory. It
calls on affiliates to establish state
coalitions or strengthen existing
state coalitions across the country,
particularly in all the states and
cities where popular protests took
place during the January Uprising.
It further realizes that the struggle
of working people and youths in
Nigeria is part of the global
resistance of the 99% against the
1% of oppressors that has
occassioned an era of global crisis.
Our victory will be a plank for the
victory of oppressed people around
the world.

Ken
Henshaw
Jaye Gaskia
General
Secretary
National Convener