wahab o goodluck (1964) nigeria and marxism

8/20/2019 Wahab O Goodluck (1964) Nigeria and Marxism

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NIGERIA AND MARXISMW. O. Goodluck

vice-Chairman, Socialist Workers' and Farmers' Party of Nieria

From an address to the Conference of the !.S.S.". #cademy of Sciences

$nstitute of World %conomy and $nternational "elations, on the Centenary of the

First $nternational.

&he Octoer "evolution o(ened a ne) e(och in the history of humanity. &hat e(och is the

e(och of Socialist "evolution. $t made Communism no loner a s(ectre hauntin %uro(e, ut

the reatest social force ri((in the )orld and ra(idly transformin it for the lastin

ha((iness of mankind.

# hundred years ao only a handful of men dared identify themselves )ith the )orkin class

revolutionary movement. &oday the army of the revolutionary )orkin class movement has

ro)n to several millions, and states )ith a *ar+ist-eninist Government emrace over

,/ million (eo(le, a third of mankind.

#ainst this ackround of ins(irin revolutionary develo(ment a((ears the dyin ut

stuornly clinin to life-im(erialism. $t is not enouh to (roclaim the inevitale doom of

im(erialism, and therey fold our arms and e+(ect it to (ass a)ay. $m(erialism even

in its (resent decayin stae remains the reatest ostacle to man's future ha((iness. $t

remains danerous, more cunnin, treacherous and reckless. 0urin the last hundred years, it

has ained e+(erience, it has im(roved its method of e+(loitation, it has multi(lied its (rofit,it has succeeded in tihtenin its ri( on the state machine and (roceeded from national state

mono(oly ca(italism to international state mono(oly ca(italism. 1et it remains a iant )ith

clay feet. With the united effort of the socialist countries, the )orld revolutionary )orkin

class movement and the national lieration movement, im(erialism shall e to((led and

crashed into smithereens.

$n the attle aainst )orld im(erialism, the )orkin class remains the most conscious,

revolutionary and effective force to comat the miht of international mono(olistic

ca(italism. $t follo)s therefore that it re2uires an effective militant trade union orani3ation.

&he trade union movement today has een divided into t)o distinct leadershi(s. On the one

4hand are the riht )in reformist leadershi(s, )ho advocate the line of ca(itulation and classcollaoration, the line of areement reached ehind the acks of the )orkin (eo(le and

aainst their )ill. $t is this laour aristocracy )ho serve as a rake on the militancy of the

)orkin class and an ostacle to the unity of the )orkin class aainst ca(italism.

On the other hand are the militant left )in revolutionary leadershi(s )ho advocate the line

of unity founded on defence of class (rinci(les, on the consistent strule for the

inde(endence of the union from oth the em(loyers and the reactionary rulin class.

"e(resentatives of this leadershi( de(end on the )orkers and orani3e the strule of their

demand under the anner of trade union unity.

With the ruthless e+(loitation of the )orkin class y the mono (olists, the vicious attack onthe hard)on ains of the )orkin class, the fre2uent (olice raids on trade union (remises, the


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ro)in aritrary arrest and im(risonment of militant trade union leaders5 the ever ro)in

unem(loyment (rolems and the s(iral soarin of cost-of livin, the mass of the )orkin

class, the rank and file have s)un to the offensive y foundin 6oint #ction Committees

over and aove the heads of the reactionary riht )in leadershi(.

&he )aves of strike movement in Western %uro(e, #merica, atin #merica, #sia and #fricaare elo2uent testimony of the offensive of the )orkin class aainst the mono(olists. &he

develo(ment of 6oint #ction Committees of trade unions of different ideoloical orientation

all over the )orld is the latest (henomenon )hich has overthro)n the a((lecart of reactionary

riht )in trade union class collaorators and their mono(olistic ca(italist masters.

IN NIGERIA

#t this stae it is useful to cite the successful a((lication of the 6oint #ction Committee

tactics in res(ect of t)o im(ortant country)ide strikes )hich have shaken the forces of neo-

colonialism and mono(oly ca(italism in Nieria to their foundations. Nieria today is the

larest (o(ulated #frican state )ith an officially declared (o(ulation of SS million 7even

thouh this fiure is in dis(ute8. #fter the end of the second )orld )ar, as a result of theeneral economic u(heaval, the activities of the national lieration movement, and the

marked deterioration in the livin standards of the )orkin class and the masses as a )hole, a

country)ide strike roke out in 9/: )hich lasted u( to forty-four days, endin in the victory

of the Nierian movement. %ver since, the ;ritish colonial (o)ers, alarmed at such a rave

threat to their economic interest, thre) all their )eiht into the attle to divide and )eaken

the movement. %+(erts on laour (rolems )ere sent from the Colonial Office to advise the

colonial administrators. &he reactionary riht-)in leadershi( of the ;ritish &rade !nion

Conress and other 'e+(erts' hel(ed to devise trade union ordinances )hich encouraed )eak

and ineffective unions,

$n addition to this, the reaka)ay odies of the $.C.F.&.!. sent e+(erts to assist in the reak-

u( of the militancy of the trade union movement. &rade union leaders )ere offered

scholarshi(s to study at "uskin &rade !nion Collee and on their return offered a((ointments

either in the colonial overnment offices or asored into hihly (aid (ersonnel manaement


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&he First "evolutionary Convention of the Nierian &rade !nion Conress )hich took (lace

from #uust /th to >th, 9?, marked the turnin (oint in the history of the Nierian trade

union movement. #t that Convention a ne) leadershi( )as elected into office, a leadershi(

)hich had een tested and (roved honest and determined, a leadershi( )hich has roots in the

trade union movement and )hich reconi3es the necessity of )orkin toether )ith all the

(roressive classes-es(ecially the *ar+ist intellectuals. &his leadershi( at the end of theConvention advocated as its main task a


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&he Federal Government of Nieria felt that the demand )as a


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and thereu(on ave another ultimatum.

STRIKE ACTION

#t the e+(iration of the iven (eriod a mass meetin of all )orkers )as called to take a

decision to start strike action. Simultaneously the Government sent for the 6#C. leaders,

doin its utmost to reak the solidarity of the leadershi(. When it ecame clear that no re(ort)as forthcomin and it )as discovered that the Government had delierately called for the

talks )ith a vie) to (reventin a decision at the mass meetin, the 6.#.C. leaders left the

Government re(resentatives. &he rank and file seriously attacked the leaders for ever

attendin the last-minute meetin )ith the Government. &he )orkers then decided to start a

country)ide strike action after t)enty-four hours.

&he decision )as hailed )ith reat


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led to a (roletarian revolution. $t also raises a (rolem of the role of the trade union in the

national lieration movement.

NATIONAL LIBERATION

&he division of a lare area of the )orld amon the ca(italist (o)ers and the de(rivation of

the ma


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Governments of &an-3an and Henya.

ROLE OF MARXISM

$t is a )ell kno)n fact that there )ere hardly any )ell orani3ed and develo(ed *ar+ist

Parties in any of the colonial territories efore the victory of the national lieration

movements. $n Nieria there e+isted various (ockets of *ar+ist rou(s. #ttem(ts made tounify these rou(s on different occasions )ere not lastin. $n any case the national lieration

movement strule a((ealed to and unified all forces fihtin aainst colonialism.

$t )as after the victory of the national lieration movement and the inaility of the rulin

national oureoisie to com(lete the anti-feudal and anti-im(erialist revolution that the

formation of *ar+ist Parties took (lace.

Considerin the socio-economic stae of develo(ment in some of the #frican develo(in

states, )here there is (ractically no industry, )here the )orkin class consists of )hite collar

merchant clerks, )here ca(italism is still in its infancy, )here the mass of the (eo(le are

illiterate and the country is still in the feudal stae of develo(ment the classical te+t ooksolutions do not a((ly and therefore ne) methods and tactics are re2uired to uide the (eo(le

to socialism.

&here is therefore no ready-made ans)er for *ar+ists-eninists in #frica. $t is our duty to

ma( out the road to consolidate the victory of the national lieration movement and su((ort it

to com(lete its anti-feudal and anti-im(erialist strule. $n some of the #frican states like

Ghana, the !nited #ra "e(ulic, #leria and *ali the 2uestion has een raised )hether

there is a necessity to found a (urely *ar+ist-eninist Party as distinct from the (o(ular

nationalistic overnments. $n some of these countries e+istin Communist Parties that have

(layed leadin roles in the national lieration movement have een anned and their leaders


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0emocratic "evolution. 0e(endin on the reaction of the rulin class in different countries,

the (ath of strule may lie in Parliamentary strule or e+tra-Parliamentary strule.

Where the *ar+ist-eninist (arty is anned, then de(endin on the (revailin circumstances,

the (arty may take u( armed strule, ut reat care must e taken that the (o(ulace su((ort

an armed strule, other)ise the *ar+ist-eninist (arty )hich (rematurely resorts to armedstrule )ill soon find itself in isolation and conse2uently face destruction. Such a (arty can

only do reat harm to the revolutionary )orkin class movement.

Some *ar+ist (arties in the atin #merican countries )ho lindly a(ed the Cuan revolution

and took u( arms have (aid dearly for their mistakes.

SOVIET RECOGNITION

#nother (rolem )hich has caused a reat deal of confusion and accusation aainst the

Soviet Government and other socialist countries, is the estalishment of di(lomatic relations

)ith the reactionary #frican overnments and the renderin of sustantial material and

financial assistance to them.

&hese are very im(ortant (rolems )hich re2uire very close study. Some #frican *ar+ists

feel that this is a etrayal of *ar+ist revolutionaries. &his conce(tion is )ron. &he

estalishment of di(lomatic relations )ith any #frican state )hether reactionary or

(roressive is a (ositive and correct (olicy.

&he fact that the national lieration movement has succeeded and freed the (eo(le from

colonial rulers is a very sinificant develo(ment. $t is a defeat for the forces of im(erialism. $f

the Soviet Government or any socialist overnment refuses to reconi3e a ne)ly inde(endent

#frican state ecause the national oureoisie )ho came to (o)er are reactionary, then the

Socialist overnments )ould cease to e *ar+ist-eninist.

&he estalishment of di(lomatic relations )ith reactionary #frican overnments rather

strenthens than )eakens the chance of the ro)th of the revolutionary forces.

&he #frican *ar+ists-eninists have their o)n contriution to enrich the treasure trove of

*ar+ism-eninism. &hey call on our comrades every)here to assist the national lieration

movements to com(lete the anti-feudal and anti-colonialist strules. &hey call for active

su((ort to the armed national lieration movements of #nola, *o3ami2ue and 'Portuuese'

Guinea aainst the ruthless Portuuese colonialist overnment. &hey call for su((ort to the

(atriots fihtin the #merican-controlled overnment of traitor *oise &shome in the Cono.&hey call for active (artici(ation in the )orld fiht aainst a(artheid in South #frica, and the

encouraement and ro)th of the orani3ation of #frican unity.

on live the unity of the *ar+ist-eninist (artiesE

wahab o goodluck (1964) nigeria and marxism

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