Pay Akele’s entitlement, NCP appeals to LASG

Late Comrade Ayodele Akele

*Says the struggle must go on until victory

By Felicia Adedigba

NATIONAL Conscience Party, NCP, has appealed dot Lagos state government to pay all the outstanding entitlement of Comrade Ayodele Akele to his family.

The NCP made the call at Comrade Ayodele Akele Memorial Symposium held at Ikeja, Lagos on June 26.

The party made the call through its state party chairman, Comrade Fatai Ibu-Owo, who said that Akele fought for the right of masses like Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and he (Akele) should not be treated like that after his death on June 23 last year.

According to Ibu-Owo: “On June 23 2020, our Comrade Ayodele Akele (aka Iturity) passed on after years of waging numerous struggles against all forms of tyranny in Nigeria. From his days in the students’ movement in the late 1970s to early-1980s, to the trade union movements, to the human rights and political movement of the masses and youth, Comrade Akele was a principled defender of the toiling masses.

“He left behind the legacy (just like Chief Gani Fawehnmi) of standing up for our rights and standing on the truth, even if we stand alone. We cannot afford to abandon this stance now in the face of a more brutal and collapsing situation in Nigeria today.

“We are all living witnesses to how the democratic rights and space that the masses fought for over years has been under attack by this regime of Buhari. Scores have been killed since the #EndSARS revolt, insecurity is now the order of the day, freedom of speech has been undermined, social media is under siege, political parties have been disbanded, the economic attacks on the masses and youth have been intensified, the list goes on. 

“In Lagos, another agenda of crude imposition of the agents of APC on the Local Government Councils is in fill gear. It is not a democratic election into Local Government that we would see on July 27 but a crude imposition. 

“In the midst of all these attacks and the sliding of society deeper into barbarism, the masses and youth can definitely not abandon the struggle but intensify the struggle until victory is achieved. This is what we believe in the NCP Lagos and our allies stand on.

“The situation in Nigeria definitely requires urgent intervention from the masses and youth but unfortunately due to the lack of organization and betrayal of the leadership of labour in providing leadership the mass movement has not moved forward qualitatively. 

“The essence of this programme is to start the process of rebuilding the organs of struggle of the toiling masses and youth, by having qualitative conversations over the state of the nation and what is to be done. We cannot afford to fold our hands and watch as the ruling elites push society into another senseless civil war. History would definitely blame us for inactivity and not putting in enough effort to rebuild and fight back against all attempts to undermine all democratic rights and the imposition of more IMF-World Bank dictated economic attacks on the masses.

“We remain committed to the struggle to defend our right to associate in a political party of our choice, freedom of speech, and against all economic attacks on the toiling masses.

“I will not end my speech without eulogizing the man that brought us here. We are here today because of a single soul. A single soul that is incomparable with thousands of living souls. This soul is so precious to us not because of anything but because of the life achievement it has made.

Iturity! The man of sample, champion of struggle, senior advocate of the people, conscience of Lagos, teacher of teachers, role model, transparent leader, disciple of Gani, loyalist of the truth, unionist, activist, dogged fighter, politician and quantity surveyor.

“Akele that I know is a trust worthy person, the man who refused to be bought over against the interest of Lagos workers. The man who rejected many offers (including and houses) from the government of that day. The man who lost his only job because of the truth, he lost his only job because he stood for what was right.

“If I can turn back the hands of the time, I would have brought you back to life in order to lead the fight against corrupt and clueless politician.

“NCP Lagos urge the Lagos State Government to pay all Akele’s outstanding entitlement to his family with immediate effect to show that this government is a responsible government and the government of the people.”