Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed profound grief over the passing of the General Secretary of the congress, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja.
It identified the transition of Ugboaja as a major tragedy that has befallen the labour movement in the country, calling him a hero and a defender of the masses.
The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Muritala Saheed Olayinka, said this in a condolence message issued on Tuesday and made available to Journalists in Ilorin.
Olayinka observed that the demise of the National Scribe of the congress has caused an inestimable setback to the union, especially his tireless commitment to nation building.
He noted that Ugboaja was reputed for pursuing a just cause in the interest of the downtrodden, who have continued to endure the harsh economic conditions that characterized government policies in the country.
The NLC Chairman called on the federal government to immortalize the late General Secretary of the congress for standing firmly as a nation builder throughout his lifetime.
“Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja was a hero and a defender of the masses while lending his voice against what he considered as anti-people’s policies from the governments. He was a thoroughbred labour activist and a human rights defender, and for this reason, his departure in a time like this, is profoundly tragic.
“In pursuit of the cause he believed in, our late General Secretary stood firmly to be counted when it mattered most. He believed that any government policies without human face would further impoverish the helpless masses and subject them to harsh economic conditions.
“As a prominent leader in the labour, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, would be sorely missed and he would be remembered for his commitment to nation building. Truly, he deserved to be called a nation builder in all standards.
“In honouring him and the cause he believed in, which he pursued with all his vigour throughout his lifetime, it would not be out of place to call on the federal government to immortalize him and what he represented during his earthly sojourn,” Olayinka said.
While expressing sympathy to the National leadership of the congress, the Kwara NLC Chairman prayed to the Almighty God to uphold the family Comrade Ugboaja left behind upon goodness.
