Joseph Akinlaja, a former member of the House of Representatives and former general secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has mourned the loss of his former boss at NUPENG, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori.
While recalling his last encounter with the renowned unionist and pro-democracy icon, Akinlaja, who was also a deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, noted that Chief Kokori’s immense patriotism and sincere commitment to a better democratic Nigeria and robust trade unionism would be greatly missed.
Chief Kokori, a former NUPENG General Secretary, died on his 80th birthday on Thursday, December 7, 2023.
In a statement tagged “End Of An Era”, Akinlaja who was a deputy General Secretary to Chief Kokori in NUPENG, said in Abuja “I received with immense sadness, news of the passing away of globally acclaimed unionist, writer, thinker, scholar, orator, tutor, organizer, administrator, cultural icon, nationalist and politician of the very first rank. His immense patriotism and sincere commitment to a better democratic Nigeria and robust trade unionism would be greatly missed.
“In retrospect, I met Chief Kokori in 1975, precisely 48 years ago, he was a good leader that any mentee can be proud of and even emulate. His leadership skills were exceptional and indeed posterity will be kind to him and everything he left behind including his legacies and family.
“During his last moment with me in Warri on his hospital bed, under severe pains and in an emotionally-laden voice, he said JOSEPH, as he usually called me, and said life was ebbing out of him because the air conditioner in the hospital had been switched off due to high cost of diesel. “Tell them that I can pay any amount, or even ask you and others to pay for me, but let them switch on the AC for me because I’m dying.” Those were his words to me that day.
“He also told me if he ever came out alive in that hospital he would advise the government to make the refineries work, he also decried why successive governments have failed to keep the refineries up on stream. Despite old age, the zest was still in him to challenge the status quo. Even when he was dying, he was still thinking about Nigeria and the pains of Nigerians. It was really heart-rending for me to see such a great icon melt away like a candle beside the fire.
“I remember vividly those glorious years when he handed over the mantle of administrative leadership of NUPENG to me as the General Secretary in the year 2000, having served meritoriously for 17 good years, he built NUPENG to the level that the junior oil workers’ Union became a beautiful bride of envy to everyone within and outside trade unionism, both in the formal and informal sectors.
“Nevertheless, I am consoled by the knowledge that Kokori would live forever in the hearts and minds of present and future generations through his great works which brought him enduring international fame and countless honours of a man of class, integrity, and finesse.
“I strongly believe that Kokori’s frank, truthful, and fearless interventions in national affairs especially during the June 12 struggle brought out the hero in him.”