JOSEPH AKINLAJA pays tribute to Frank Kokori, former Secretary General of NUPENG and trade unionist of repute

Frank Ogheneovie Kokori was my boss whom I met in 1975, 48 years ago. Until death do us part. I worked with him from 1975 until his retirement as General Secretary of NUPENG in the year 2000. I was close to him until his death by 1am on 7th December, 2023 which was his 80th birthday.

I was with him in all our trade union struggles. In the 1970s to 1980s, trade unions and trade unionist were not recognized in practical terms in both private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy. Therefore our first struggle in the oil industry was to ensure that the management of the companies in the oil industries, that was pre-dominated by multinational oil companies at that time recognize trade unions as partners in progress.

Comrade Kokori, Comrade Enas Dubre, Comrade Elijah Okougbo and myself were involved in the early struggles led by Chief Kokori. The struggle was fierce and daunted, it requires honesty, boldness, integrity and frankness.

Chief Comrade Kokori was an embodiment of those virtues. He led the struggle from the front, he was as lethal as the lion. In fact we call him the DYNAMO of the oil industry at that time. We all know that if a lion is leading 1000 sheep, all the sheep will behave like the lion, so all of us involved in the struggle had no choice than to follow the footsteps of Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, and we succeeded in getting practical recognition for our trade union the great NUPENG that became the pacesetter of Trade Union struggles.

We were so well recognized and solid to the point that we had to embark on the first and only political struggle for democratic rule through organizing political strike popularly known as June 12 struggle of NUPENG. Trade unions are known for economic strikes but NUPENG led by KOKORI carried out a political strike by trade union that shook the foundation of militocracy leading to democracy. The whole world at that time knew the name Kokori. Kokori of Nigeria, Kokori of Africa and Kokori of the world.

Chief Kokori in his life time confessed that apart from his wife the only person that knows him in and out was me, because he always calls me by my first name Joseph. Kokori was an enigma of sort in trade unionism and human right struggles. He was left of the center, always on the side of the masses and the oppressed even at personal risk or injury to himself. He was unjustly imprisoned by the military junta of Gen. Sani Abacha for four years under harsh conditions from 1994 to 1998 in Bama prison, North East of Nigeria.

Chief Kokori believed that chief MKO Abiola won the June 12 election of 1993, which was annulled by Gen Badamosi Babangida. Hence he led the struggle for its actualization for which he was severely punished. Ironically 25 years after in 2015 Nigerian Government under Gen. Muhammadu Buhari confirmed that Chief MKO Abiola actually won the election. But instead of giving Chief Kokori a national  honours award as one of the heroes of Nigerian democracy such awards were given to others. MY WISH now is to urge the federal government and well meaning Nigerians to posthumously give a national award to chief Kokori. 

Frank Kokori was a patriot of no mean value. I can recollect now that a few weeks before he died even on his sick bed in the hospital I put a telephone call through to him to ask about his welfare. He said, “Joseph please tell the management of this Hospital to put on their generator so that I can switch-on the air conditioner in this room. The room is too hot, LIFE IS EBBING AWAY FROM ME. I know they switched off the generator because of high cost of diesel, I do not blame them. If I leave this hospital alive I am going to talk to those in authority in Nigeria, how can we have abundant crude oil in Niger Delta and in Kokori community, we have four refineries and no common diesel, why?” He said the ordinary Nigerian does not deserve this deliberate punishment. Finally he said “Nigeria was too rich to be poor.” That was the fire of patriotism still burning in Kokori even on his sick bed. He never knew that the ice-cold hand of death would snatch him away from us before he could speak truth to power again as he was used to.

I will miss you MY BOSS Ogheneovie. Adieu Frank, sleep on in the bossom of the Lord until we would meet to part no more.

Hon. Comrade Akinlaja writes from Lagos