Night fall in Abeokuta: An account of war against the working class

Night fall in Abeokuta: An Account of War Against The Working Class

By Ajibola Olaniyi

It was the former Philippine’s Prime Minister, Gloria Aroyo, who gave a deep and all-inclusive definition of leadership,when she opined that “the greatest litmus test of good leadership is ability to be at the fore-front leading, at the middle inspiring, and at the back defending the people at all times”.

Suffice it to say that the integral part of people’s aspiration is their economic condition, through assurance of stable and regular source of incomes that will lend comfort to their existence in the short run, and solace afterwards.

Of course, it has been primordially and globally established that what really determines the consciousness of a man is his economic condition; meaning that a man is vulnerable to social vices and even felony, if the means of his livelihood is threatened and unsecured, and  his economic condition is unfavourable and unpalatable without strength of requisite consciousness.

Obviously, the response of Karl Marx to his ideological friend and comrade, Engel on this subject matter is clearly corroborative. Contrary to Engel’s submission that the state of mind of a man determines his consciousness, Marx argued that ” humanity is taken away from a man without stable economic condition, and he becomes a sub-human rather unconsciously, because in the final analysis, what really determines the consciousness of a man is never his state of mind but his economic condition”.

In that wise, a leader fails the litmus test of good leadership if he fails to position himself at the front, middle, and at the back to defend his people in the area of their prioritised interests, which is their economic condition.

Such leader will be committing a greater crime against humanity if he relegates his people to the status of sub-human and also subvert their inalienable rights and freedom.

Without mincing words, the fate of workers in Ogun State is shockingly terrible, and passionately pathetic, when the mass of the workers were callously brutalised and maimed by suspected “thugs of the government” in the course of their  preparation  to press for payment of their 13 months unpaid cooperative deductions and  gratuities, through strike.

The oppressed workers were  attacked  in the early hours of Thursday,  October 20, 2016 at the water corporation junction in Abeokuta in the full glare of the police, and other security agencies.

It was authoritatively gathered that the assault was carried out by  a notorious squad  led by one”Jango Boys” in collaboration with another deviants called  “Saheed Okada Boys” in Abeokuta, who were said to be on Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s payroll.

It should be recalled that the same fate befell innocent students of Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU)  in 2014 when they protested against Gov. Amosun’s unpopular and anti-students  policy on education.

Daredevil and blood-thirsting thugs were sent to attack these students and at the end of the attack, hundreds of students were  brutalised and injured callously, only for government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to  come out and defend this bestial and barbaric action by accusing the students of destroying government properties in the state capital, hence the “need for their brutality by thugs”.

With all intents and purpose, when has miscreants become a state’s instrument of law enforcement and adjudication, where street urchins would be the one to “protect” government’s interest in a matter of policy.

Meanwhile, to substantiate government’s culpability on the attack against the workers  further, the governor has earlier warned the workers of dicey consequences should they attempt to embark on strike against the criminal deductions of their cooperative savings without remittance and unpaid gratuities, with backlog of salaries.

Also, the government kept mute on the orchestrated attacks on its workforce without any statement to condemn the act and step to bring the perpetrators to book, which make the government more culpable at all fronts.

That the government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun is notorious of tyranny and despotism is not out of place, it is a government that celebrates hooliganism and criminality, coupled with mediocrity with so much impunity.

It is indeed instructive for the governor to learn from history in order not to become a victim of history, he should note that no man successfully subvert the popular will of the people perpetually, more so when the working class is the major target and victim.

All in all, #IStandWithOgunWorkers.

Niyi Ajibola