From #OccupyOil

Occupy Oil Final planning meeting Saturday the 4th of February 2012 Methodist Hall 1pm http://www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160&Itemid=85

What is Occupy Oil?

We believe that the war for resources that has plagued us for many years, is forcing us to the point of near destruction. The pursuit of oil and minerals in Africa by the 1% has resulted in millions being murdered, raped or displaced.

Africa is plagued with civil war, poverty and starvation. The Middle East is at the point of all out war. The ruling elites are on the verge of attacking Iran. The global economy is eating itself alive. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, since 1997, 8 million people have lost their lives in a civil war, manipulated by those who would seek to gain the most from this resource rich country. The African people, in Nigeria, the DRC, Libya, Uganda and elsewhere, will pay dearly for the materialism of the West.

In the UK over 2000 people will die from fuel poverty this year. The 1% in the form of global corporations will continue to reap the rewards, while the old and vulnerable will be found dead in their beds, having been forced to make the choice between heat and food.

Many people who are unfit and unable to work, will be forced off benefits and into unpaid and low paid work for the benefit of tax-dodging companies and supermarket chains. Food prices will continue to rise, pushed up by the ever increasing price of crude oil. While bankers continue to give themselves bonuses, in some cases, £3 billion for managing hedge funds. Politicians will reward them with peerages and accolades, while condemning the workers to a life of poverty.

In Ireland, a country on the verge of economic collapse, politicians in the last government, on leaving office, signed over the gas resources to Shell oil – at the same time cutting benefits to those most in need.

It’s time to make a stand. On 8th February 2012 we will Occupy Petrol Stations across London. We call on activists to organise yourselves into affinity groups and join this action London-wide. Make banners, get sound systems and pick targets. As the date approaches we can co-ordinate actions for maximum impact. Let’s send an opening shot in our war against the global elites.

By Brendan Kelly

The main theme of African football at international level recently has been that of shock results and big name exits as Nigeria, Egypt and Cameroon all failed to grace the African Cup of Nations this year. The finals of the tournament have proved to be no different with some incredible results in the group stages, throwing it wide open as the quarter-finals leave all the odd makers perplexed as to what might happen next.

The most obvious place to start is group A, where Senegal, who had a squad that caused pundits to tip them as possible favourites, were dumped out by the second group game. Demba Ba, so devastating in the Premier League this year for Newcastle this year failed to register a solitary strike in this year’s competition. Newcastle will of course be delighted to see him and his compatriot and new signing Papiss Cisse return earlier than expected, but for Senegal’s fans there will be major dissatisfaction at their inability to gain a point, let alone qualify from the group.

Demba Ba shows his frustrations against Equatorial Guinea

Senegal’s loss, however, is Zambia’s and most interestingly hosts Equatorial Guinea’s gain. Equatorial Guinea had never appeared at the Nations Cup before jointly hosting it this year and their immediate impact has sent the nation into football frenzy. Gilson Paulo, imported from Brazil a mere two weeks before the tournament commenced, has masterminded two unlikely victories against Libya and the much fancied Senegal to see them whip up quite a storm. Their first victory was secured by Javier Balboa, who was previously on the books of none other than Real Madrid. Their second game was where the real drama lay though, as Equatorial Guinea conceded a late equalizer to Senegal, and would have been forgiven for perhaps settling for that, but David Álvarez Aguirre had other ideas. In time added on he dispatched a rasping drive from 30 yards out that not only secured his country’s qualification, but also Senegal’s exit.

Rainford Kalaba shields the ball against Javier Balboa

Zambia were surprise performers at the last Nations Cup and were unlucky to bow out on penalties against Nigeria. Hanging on to manager Herve Renard has ensured consistency and their star pair last time around Rainford Kalaba and skipper Christopher Katongo have been amongst the goals this year. Zambia managed to top the group and in so doing have avoided Ivory Coast in the quarter finals, this coupled with the impressive form of the two mentioned and Emmanuel Mayuka make them dark horses in the competition. They have looked impressive in all three group games, remaining unbeaten and looking resilient, no more so than against Libya when the pitch was practically unplayable, but Kalaba still managed to create significant openings for Zambia.

In group B firm favourites Ivory Coast have racked up three wins in albeit an uninspiring fashion. They topped the group and have yet to concede, but don’t quite look the powerhouse that their household names suggest they should be. Didier Drogba has rippled the net, but Gervinho has shown the same brilliance and profligacy that has frustrated Arsenal fans all season, while Yaya Toure seems a shadow of the player who terrorizes teams in England. The results however, back up the assumption that they are the safe bet for the tournament winners and although they have not sparkled in the group stages they may be a different prospect in the knock-out phase, especially without Egypt to worry about.

Along with Ivory Coast a young Sudan team qualified in second spot, Mudather Tayeb benefited from some terrible Burkino Faso defending and goalkeeping to score the necessary goals in the final group game. Their inclusion in the quarter finals is at the expense of Angola, another nation expected to do better, who were powered up front by Manucho, a player who Manchester United and Hull City fans will remember. His goal powered Angola to victory in their opening match and he was also on target twice against Sudan, but the 2-2 draw in that fixture was their downfall as they lost to Ivory Coast by a higher margin than Sudan who scraped through.

Mudather Tayeb (right) scored both goals in Sudan's victory over Burkina Faso

Group C saw the other co-hosts Gabon in surprisingly good form as they took maximum points from all three group games, a feat matched only by Ivory Coast. They coasted past Niger in their opening match before a dramatic injury-time free-kick won Gabon all three points in a 3-2 humdinger against Morocco, where Daniel Cousin, again remembered in England for his time at Hull City, was amongst the goals. Their main threat has been from St. Etienne front man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has scored in each of their matchs so far, the pick of which was his thumping volley against Morocco. Morocco’s own disappointing campaign ended with victory over Niger, but it was far too little too late. Arsenal’s Marouane Chamakh took his dismal form into the Nations Cup and was dropped after their first game; his only meaningful contribution was to win a penalty against Gabon, which turned out to be in vain.

Tunisia, often the mainstays amongst African teams to qualify for World Cup finals, have in recent years been in decline and their performances to gain their inclusion in the quarter finals were underwhelming to say the least. Anyone who has seen them play at a World Cup may say that this is no different to before, but their inclusion beyond the next round doesn’t seem likely. After seeing off a poor Niger team and an off-colour Morocco team they lost to the spirited co-hosts Gabon, whose pace of play proved too much for their static back line.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores against Tunisia

In group D, Ghana were of course named as pre-tournament favourites along with Ivory Coast and Senegal and they have so far just about lived up to their billing. They do not possess the individual talents that the Ivory Coast do and are lacking their one world class player in Michael Essien, but their team ethic is incredible and they seem to visibly enjoy playing for each other. Asmoah Gyan scored a brilliant free-kick against Mali to remind those of us who might have forgotten now he has departed the Premier League. Marseille hit man Andre Ayew also scored a great individual effort in that game to show why his club will be missing his talents in the Champions League if Ghana progress far enough in the Nations Cup this year. They have so far overcome the challenges of Mali and Guinea to finish top of the pile in their group, but sterner tests lie ahead and their steady progression must add some more inventiveness to its attack if they are to seriously challenge for the main prize.

Asmoah Gyan celebrates scoring a free-kick against Mali

All that leaves is Mali, who shorn of the talents of Freddy Kanoute, still have Barcelona’s Seydou Keita and Mahamadou Diarra, once of Real Madrid, to call upon. Their progression to the quarter finals was expected alongside Ghana, in the one group that didn’t really throw up any surprises.

The quarter finals have pitted Zambia against Sudan, the winner of which will face Ghana or Tunisia, with Ghana’s team ethic and strong spine I predict it will be a semi-final between them and dark horses Zambia. On the other side Ivory Coast look set to bring co-hosts Equatorial Guinea’s whirlwind adventure to a close, but who they will face is more difficult to predict. With Gabon’s plucky style and home advantage, their quarter final may prove to be the one to watch as they take on Mali.

There have been glimpses so far of flair and excitement in this year Cup of Nations, but the real drama has only just begun as the knock-out phase promises to bring out the real quality in this tournament when teams go head-to-head.

From WEED

What needs to be done

To prevent financial speculators from generating profits at the cost of the poot, we need strong regulation of commodity derivatives markets. This includes:
• Trade on transparent exchanges or clearing houses
• High margin requirements for Over-the-counter trade
• Reporting and public reports
• Price oversight and price limits
• Prevention of excessive speculation through position limits
• Trading prohibition for institutional funds, mutual funds and for proprietary trading
• Control of the speculation by multinational commodity companies
• Transaction tax on commodity derivatives trading

For about what can be done in the UK visit World Development Movement website

Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

Date: Monday 23 January 2012
Time: 6.30-8pm
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
Chair: Professor Judith Rees

More details here

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been a staunch supporter of the withdrawal of the Nigerian fuel subsidy. He maintains that “Subsidies should be subsidies for production and not for consumption”.

He may believe in improving Nigeria by causing suffering and further destitution for those who on the poverty line, but perhaps young diaspora activists like Nicholas Ibekwe and Occupy Nigeria in London may have other views.

From Patrice Lumumba Archive on Marxists.org

My dear wife,

I am writing these words to you, not knowing whether they will ever reach you, or whether I shall be alive when you read them.

Throughout my struggle for the independence of our country I have never doubted the victory of our sacred cause, to which I and my comrades have dedicated all our lives.

But the only thing which we wanted for our country is the right to a worthy life, to dignity without pretence, to independence without restrictions.

This was never the desire of the Belgian colonialists and their Western allies, who received, direct or indirect, open or concealed, support from some highly placed officials of the United Nations, the body upon which we placed all our hope when we appealed to it for help.

They seduced some of our compatriots, bought others and did everything to distort the truth and smear our independence.

What I can say is this—alive or dead, free or in jail—it is not a question of me personally.

The main thing is the Congo, our unhappy people, whose independence is being trampled upon.

That is why they have shut us away in prison and why they keep us far away from the people. But my faith remains indestructible.

I know and feel deep in my heart that sooner or later my people will rid themselves of their internal and external enemies, that they will rise up as one in order to say ‘No’ to colonialism, to brazen, dying colonialism, in order to win their dignity in a clean land.

We are not alone. Africa, Asia, the free peoples and the peoples fighting for their freedom in all corners of the world will always be side by side with the millions of Congolese who will not give up the struggle while there is even one colonialist or colonialist mercenary in our country.

To my sons, whom I am leaving and whom, perhaps, I shall not see again, I want to say that the future of the Congo is splendid and that I expect from them, as from every Congolese, the fulfilment of the sacred task of restoring our independence and our sovereignty.

Without dignity there is no freedom, without justice there is no dignity and without independence there are no free men.

Cruelty, insults and torture can never force me to ask for mercy, because I prefer to die with head high, with indestructible faith and profound belief in the destiny of our country than to live in humility and renounce the principles which are sacred to me.

The day will come when history will speak. But it will not be the history which will be taught in Brussels, Paris, Washington or the United Nations.

It will be the history which will be taught in the countries which have won freedom from colonialism and its puppets.

Africa will write its own history and in both north and south it will be a history of glory and dignity.

Do not weep for me. I know that my tormented country will be able to defend its freedom and its independence.

Long live the Congo!

Long live Africa!

Thysville prison

Patrice LUMUMBA

51 years ago today, Patrice Lumumba, the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was assassinated by Katanga authorities that were following Belgian government commands.

He was assassinated with two members of his government Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito. The video below briefly charts his story and the story of African Liberation.

Read more about: “the most important assassination of the 20th century”.

From Al Jazeera

Amazing video by Pilot Africa - Enough is enough!

On 1 January 2012, Nigeria’s federal government removed the fuel subsidy, an unpopular move confirmed in a statement by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The effect was immediate, price tags on petrol at filling stations nationwide went up from N65 to N140 and over.

Struggling masses of oil rich Nigeria, angered by the added financial strain on their daily lives, took to the streets in cities across the country to demand the subsidy removal be reversed.

We joined the protest at Ojota in Lagos and speak to some of the protesters. These are their opinions.

Hat/tip: Kayode Ogundamisi

Nigerians could teach Londoners a thing or two about standing up to state brutality and intimidation.

Watch as solider tries to assault a protester and ends up having to be protected from being beaten up by the Occupy collective!

Video from Reuters

Nigeria, a country that had a tragic end of 2011, is starting with a hopeful start towards a better future. In December last year, a convergence of trade unions, civil society organisations and Action Aid, to launch Occupy Nigeria, a campaign to resist the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy that President Goodluck Jonathan introduced at the start of the year.

Today, Friday 6th January, Occupy Nigeria comes to London, assembly point at Charing Cross Station on 12:30pm and march to Nigeria House. Below are photos from marches in Abuja and Lagos that have taken place earlier this week plus the founding statement by Occupy Nigeria.

Lagos Highway Occupied

Protest leaders in Lagos

Abiodun Aremu, secretary of JAF

Protestors in Lagos

More photos here: http://saharareporters.com/gallery/photonews-occupy-lagos-protest

Occupy Nigeria founding statement

A CLARION CALL TO ACTION

Retake our country:Reclaim our Humanity:Return to the streets:occupy Nigeria for Social Transformation.

THE GLOBAL SITUATION.

We are living through very hard, but equally interesting times ;through a period of another historic crises of the global capitalist(free market) economy; a crisis so deep that although it began as a global financial crisis ,it has now engulfed the entire global capitalist/ market economy and the political and socio-cultural systems supported by this economy.

In its present phase ,the crisis is at once a global economic , as well as a global political and socio cultural crisis.Not only huge corporations and financial institutions are going bankrupt and needing large scale bailouts; but so also are whole countries (Greece,Ireland,Ice Land,Spain,Italy etc,)going bankrupt and needing bailouts of historic proportions.

Furthermore, as economic crisis have deepened, so have the political crisis, so much so that from one country to another, governing parties are losing their majorities and opposition parties are gaining majorities that are not enough to form government without going into coalitions. Elsewhere  across the globe, and away from Europe,Asia, and the Americas ,in North Africa and the Middle East more dramatic political crisis is unfolding, precipitating historic mass uprising and revolution upheavals ,unprecedented in the life of a generation. In the life of a generation. In the MENA  region, at the moment, three long standing regimes have been deposed (Tunisia,Egypt and Libya) two intense civil wars are ongoing (Syria and Yemen) and tension is rising and building up in the other countries forcing monarchs and ruling parties to propose different types of reforms to douse the popular anger (Jordan,Bahrain,Saudi Arabia,Morocco,Algeria).

A central characteristic of the response  of ruling classes and elites right across the world to the global crisis, has been to try to bailout (subsidies to the majority) increase in cost of services and imposition of new levies among others.

Nevertheless, as they have tried to increase the burden of hardships on the majority, so have the resistance  of the majority intensified. The result today is the revolutionary upheaval in the MENA, the waves of strikes across Europe and the Americas and the growing Occupy movement.

THE SITUATION IN NIGERIA:

Here at home in Nigeria ,the global economic crisis has been compounded by the monumental corruption of the ruling class ,its administrative and managerial ineptitude, and its political and governance. The Nigerian ruling class has been content to loot the treasury and to place its pecuniary interest far above the collective interest of the Nation and her people.

Nowhere is the more glaring than in the energy sector, with respect to electricity generation and distribution, and petroleum product refining and distribution. This ruling class prefers to continue to pretend to be helpless before a cabal/cartel of its own making, one that enjoys its patronage controls generator importation and fuel importation.

Because of its own selfish interest, the ruling class will spend billions of dollars on the importation of generator, basic food stuff and refined petroleum products; rather than invest in the power generation and distribution in the country, crude refining and distribution capacity within the country and in the value chains of basic food in country.

They undertake this unholy act with impunity because they are more interested in lining their pockets than in making the country work for her citizens.

Now they claim there is a subsidy on refined petroleum products because they have failed to revive refineries at home or build new ones after spending close to 100 billion naira on Turn Around Maintenance that have turned nothing around in the sector except the bank accounts of those responsible for this grand theft who are known yet still walk the streets of our country freely.

Why is Nigeria the only member of OPEC with the highest cost of petrol per litre ? Why is Nigeria the only member of OPEC that imports over 80% of its refined petroleum products?

The result of decades of gross incompetence ,crass impunity with respect to corruption and grand ineptitude in overall management of the economy includes the wiping out of a vibrant textile industries; the loss of 1.8 million jobs in manufacturing alone between 2001 and 2010 as a result of the closure of 1,000  manufacturing concerns, as well as poverty level that has stagnated around 60%over the last ten years and a youth unemployment rate of more than 45%.

Given the parlous nature of the power/electricity sector, we know that virtually every sector of the economy is now directly dependent on fuel to run generator to generate power for industrial , commercial, agriculture, processing, transportation and domestic use. It therefore stands to reason that any increase in the pump price of fuel/petrol ,even a marginal increase not to talk of the proposed 130% increase will be quite devastating for the economy and crushing for the standard and condition of living of the [people cost of production and overheads will increase across the board. Transportation and logistics cost for moving goods and services as well as for moving human will also increase astronomically. The overall impact of all these will be higher costs for food basic services(education, healthcare),declining standard of living, increased absolute and relative poverty rising jobless and homelessness as well as increased crime and insecurity.

This is why it is imperative for this generation of Nigerian to resist these insensitive and anti people policy of fuel subsidy removal and the privatization (theft of public wealth by a few connected members of the political elites and their foreign backers) and deregulation (the falsehood that market regulates itself.

OUR DEMANDS;

*Absolutely no increase in the prices of petroleum products and electricity Tariffs.

*Development and prompt implementation of a three year strategic and operational plan to acquire domestic refining capacity to meet domestic needs for petroleum products and also export; as well as to double current power generation and distribution capacity.

*Comprehensive investigation into the power and petroleum sector (Energy Sector) to identify and punish all those responsible for the failures/wastage/leakages/corruption in the sector that has led to the non performance of the tens of Billions of Naira pumped into the sector since 1999.

*A referendum on the appropriate economic direction for the country, including such issues as privatization, deregulation, provision of affordable basic services and infrastructures

CAUSE OF ACTION;

Failure to meet these demands will lead to the following actions;

1 Beginning December 2011 –Preparatory direct mass action initiatives across the country wherever people are organized and ready to take tentative actions.

2 Beginning January 2012-A generalized, prolong and permanent street protest until demands are met in a signed agreement with the acknowledged representatives of the popular organization of the people.

JAYE GASKIA                                                KENN HENSHAW

National Convener                                General Secretary