Ngige is oppressing me, Frank Kokori weeps

“I’m extremely emotional and want to weep. (Tears breaks).

“To my country I have done my best. I came forth with the unions to fight for the freedom and the democracy of my country when no one raised their voice against the military …

“Frank Kokori’s words were … twenty years after democracy, someone like Nigige oppresses me, Frank Kokori.”

When he spoke, you could see him fighting to maintain his shaky hands. He also had a wavering voice.

In addition to listening to his voice shaking, you could feel his pain as he continued to speak even after a few seconds of peacefulness.

As the former Secretary General of the National Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Union (NUPENG), Mr Kokori, broke in tears, he accused Labour Minister Chris Ngige of oppressing him.

Mr. Kokori who recalled how he had struggled for democracy and was detained for years stated that Mr. Ngige acted himself, as “he knows” the president would not unfairly treat him.

He said this at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)’s scheduled inauguration, shortly after it was indefinitely postponed.

The opening was planned for 10:30 a.m. at a conference room of the Labor Minister on Thursday.

Although Frank Kokori was appointed Chairman – designate, the Minister of Labor did not name him when he listed those that would be inaugurated.

Yemi Osinbajo formed the board membership as acting president in October 2017. Ministers are empowered to inaugurate agency boards in their ministries.

The former labor leader during the military dictatorship of Sani Abacha, Mr Kokori, said that, however, he would take part in the inauguration ceremony.

The Postponement

The director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Labor, Ajibola Ibrahim, came at around 11:40 when guests were seated, to announce that the inauguration has been indefinitely postponed.

“The Minister sent me to inform you of the indefinite postponement of the inauguration. He asked me to apologize for any discomfort this might have caused.”

“He said that later a new date will be announced,” he said. “I should tell you.

Mr. Ibrahim also said many of the members were “not around,” hence the postponement.

Members of labor unions began to protest the announcement by charging the minister of the plan to hold a secret opening to replace Mr Kokori as Chairman.

Ayuba Waba, president of the Nigerian Labor Congress, led other labor activists to the gathering.

Kokori laments injustice

Mr Kokori recalled in his remark how in the past he rejected bribes because he decided to stand for democracy.

He claimed to be oppressed by the labour minister, because he (Mr. Kokori) is known as a man of integrity.

“For my country I did my best. When no man raised his voice against the army, I went with the unions to fight for my country’s freedom and democracy.

“I’ve stayed in solitary confinement for four years in one of the worst prisons in the world, Bama Prosns. In 1997, St. Pope John Paul declared me prisoner of war. Nelson Mandela declared me a notable prisoner of conscience in the world the same year.

“I stood up for this country and I fought for democracy and there have been temptations to take the largest bribes all my years in this country. For democracy, I stood my ground.

“For the reason that Frank Kokori is regarded as a man of integrity, honorary and transparent, twenty years after a democracy is being oppressed by someone like Nigige.”

“This is a government which speaks of integrity, and two years after the appointment you allow someone like Ngige to humiliate me,” he says.

He further said that after being congratulated several times by the minister and assured of the president’s inauguration, he had been subjected to trauma for over two years.

“He is dragging the president’s name into it. It is not the President I know,” he added. “I think Ngige is on his own.

Mr Kokori had been a protesting activist against the anullment by business Mogul, Moshood Abiola of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Mr. Abiola proceeded to declare himself president, which prompted the military to arrest him for treason charges.

The annulment of elections, which were considered to have been the most freely ever in Nigeria, and the arrest of Mr Abiola led, in part, by Mr Kokori, to major protests and strikes.

His union, NUPENG, initiated in 1994 a nationwide strike condemning the annulment and demanding also the release of Mr Abiola.

He was arrested and held without charge by the military government of Sani Abacha and was held solitary in Bama Prison in August of the same year.

Mr. Kokori was released in 1998, after the coming to power of General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who succeeded Mr. Abacha who died in office. Mr Abubakar also ordered that other political activists and reporters who were held in custody, be released.

In 1997 Nelson Mandela and Pope Saint John Paul II declared him Prisoner of Conscience, and between August 1994 and June 1998 he was declared prisoner of conscience by the International Labor Organization (ILO), Amnesty International (AI).

Anti-corruption activist calls for the sack of Ngige

Olarenwaju Suraj, a public affairs analyst and anti – corruption activist, declares that Mr Ngige has violated President’s directive and that he should be removed from office as such.

“I don’t think it’s about Kokori alone. It’s about some of the people who are involved with Ngige. Not only is some a disaster for the country, it embarrasses the president and the government’s entire anti – corruption agenda.”

It is indeed arbitrary for a minister to fail at the launch of a presidential board, and for that reason the level of insubordination is not acceptable in any case.””

“If it was a serious government, for that act of insubordination Ngige should have automatically been removed from office by the president, but he appears a free – for – all administration,” he said.

He explained the only question still to be answered was the failure to take decisive action against these “characteristics and elements” by the president and vice president.

While he described the NSITF as a corrupt sect, he said the minister must also have been benefitting from it.

“It also confirms that some of his ministers are actually not fully controlled by the President.”

“The government secretary should form the board immediately, and the minister really should be kicked out,” he said.

He added that, except where such an announcement is overdone, the Minister cannot make a secret inauguration outside those designated by the presidency.

“He has no authority to do that.”

Ministry speaks

In a statement late Thursday, the Labor Ministry said in the opening statement that the inauguration  was postponed due to “security failure” incurred by “suspected thugs” at the opening ceremony.

“A postponement is intended to avoid degeneration, where some ministerial officers and the police in the office of the ministry were already manipulated by thugs,” said Rhoda Iliya, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Labor’s Press Department.

She confirmed the workers ‘ fears that Mr. Kokori had been substituted as NSITF Chairman.

She said Mr Kokori’s replacement and his transfer to the board of Micheal Imodu National Institute of Labor Studies (MINLS) Ilorin, an institution awarding a diploma in Labor Relations as chairman, followed due process and was approved by the president.

Ms. Iliya said the President approved the exercise, which was properly communicated to the Labor and Employment Ministry, and stated that it is also in line with the NSITF Act.

She described labour leaders who gathered at the inauguration venue as “thugs.”

“The violent gatecrashing and illegal seizure by thugs of the minister’s conference room this morning was therefore uncalled for.”

“Government, therefore, takes the dishonorable actions of the NLC and of Mr Frank Kokori and his cohorts as a serious exception.”

“Any repeat of the hooliganism that is clearly unknown to the ethos of civilised unionism will not be tolerated by the Minister,” she added.

She said it was expected that Mr Kokori would report at his MINILS posting where his experience was more relevant.

She said President Buhari had also named Mr. Enejamo – Isere as Chairman of NSITF to contribute his rich experience to his position as a senior member of Chartered Institute and Chartered Institute of Taxation.

“Government will not tolerate a situation in which workers challenge or vitiate a president’s constitutional powers over appointments,” she said. (NAN)

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x