BLESSED ARE THE DEAD

Issa Aremu pays tribute to Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey, a Journalist


On behalf of our supervisory Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, management and staff of Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin, I convey our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey for the irreparable loss on Thursday, January 25 2024. She was a dependable media friend of MINILS in positive reportage.


For the colleagues, friends and comrades of Rosemary, a part of us is gone, after a reported brief illness. Even for her “brief illness” let’s thank God. Some people are tested with protracted sickness. Some not dead but not alive either. We thank God for making death relatively easy and “brief” for Rosemary. May Almighty God make her grave comfortable. May God grant her mercy and eternal rest in paradise.
Death keeps no calendar. Indeed “all our pomp, the earth eventually covers”. It’s time to learn from the life and times of Rosemary that it’s not how long but how well. It was relatively “long and good” for our dear comrade sister. 


Rosemary Commendably left the imprint of work in this world and worship for God’s mercy in hereafter. She was a worker who toiled and lived on her sweat. I recall her proud images of a smart and hardworking journalist with her midget recording interviewing and engaging her guests.

I bear witness that Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey was one of the best engaging labour reporters to come from Africa. She was indeed the pioneer TV labour reporter. In June 2000, “she joined the AFRICA INDEPENDENT TELEVISION (AIT) in editorial, reportorial and camera operation. She was the pioneer producer of the popular programme on AIT, ‘Policy on Tract,’ and was the Labour Correspondent until her death on January 25, 2024.” We will support AIT to sustain her legacy signature “AIT, ‘Policy on Tract!’.

She worked and lived in good company.  Nigeria once paraded a dozen of pioneer print labour reporters that included, Segun Obilana of Punch newspapers, Seyi Adekeye of Concord newspaper, Mr and Mrs Funmi Komolafe of Vanguard, Owei Lakemfa, and yours comradely of Triumph and concord newspapers.

It was Rosemary and Abiola Beckley who started electronic   Radio/ TV labour reportage as we know it today. Later Sharon of TVC commendably adds up. In celebrating Rosemary, we must remember Chief Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi, (25 October 1951 – 29 May 2023), the founder of DAAR Communications for his entrepreneurship that led to the founding of Ray power and AIT that engaged Rosemary. May the soul of Chief Rest In Peace. Chief promoted freedom of expression for organized labour in an unprecedented way.
Rosemary remains are expected to be committed to Mother Earth this week, paradoxically the week organized labour protested over the worsening economic crisis. This was one story that Rosemary could not report.

Blessed are the dead indeed. Blessed is Rosemary because she will no more be suspected of “good” or “bad” coverage of the current economic crisis. She will not even be bothered about almost N1800 exchanging for $1 . Blessed is Rosemary, she is free of renewed petrol shortage. She will not care what the new minimum wage will be against the rising inflation and total collapse of wages. She would not account for scores of smuggling routes goods are carted out of the Federal Republic.

Blessed is indeed the dead. It’s we the living that must answer the critical questions about why Nigeria finds itself in the current economic cross road.

It’s the living that will impress on both the government and organized labour to find a common ground for the resolution of the disputes at hand. Certainly the protests/ strikes were preventable and avoidable.

 Protests are not inevitable but implementing agreements is  mandatory on all the parties. Both parties must accelerate the implementation of the historic October 16 point agreement on wage improvement, CNG bus provisioning and revival of the refinery. In any case the Federal government under President Bola Tinubu is already implementing critical wage components of the agreement. I have been paid my N35000 presidential award for four months. I also bear witness that President Bola Tinubu had since 30th January, 2024, inaugurated a 37-Member  Committee on the National Minimum Wage Committee to review and come up with an acceptable and sustainable Minimum Wage for Nigerian Workers. The Committee has so far held two meetings and discussions are ongoing. Precisely because I am involved: This is the 6th National Minimum Wage Committee since the inaugural one in 1981.

Of all the past minimum wage improvements, only President Tinubu made “living wage” a campaign and governance issue. His quotable quotes include: “In the Nigeria. I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families.” That was in his 2023 MAY DAY SPEECH as PRESIDENT-ELECT! in his 2024 new year speech as the President he declared “ We will work diligently to make sure every Nigerian feels the impact of their government. The economic aspirations and the material well-being of the poor, the most vulnerable and the working people shall not be neglected. It is in this spirit that we are going to implement a new national living wage for our industrious workers this new year. It is not only good economics to do this, it is also a morally and politically correct thing to do.” No democratically elected President since 1999 has been so committed to addressing the crisis of compensation like this President. Labour dares to key to his vision through constructive engagement and social dialogue defined as act of reasoning together among the tripartite actors of employers of labour, organized labour and government !!

State governments must also justify huge resources at their disposal and complement the federal government in addressing the current crisis of income poverty facing the country.


Certainly the best Tribute to Rosemary is to change the narrative of Nigeria’s labour market from crisis of compensation through low or no pay to that of prompt respect for collective agreement, improved productivity, income equity and prosperity for Nigeria. May her soul Rest In Peace.

 Aremu mni is

Director General,
Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (minils) Ilorin