The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has mourned the death of a former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Frank Kokori.
The former NUPENG scribe died at a private hospital in the early hours of Thursday.
Kokori’s personal assistant, Atawada Oke, announced the death to journalists early Thursday, noting that his health relapsed on Monday when he was unable to interact with people around him while he was placed on life support. In a condolence message via his profile on X on Thursday, Keyamo described Kokori as his “mentor and guide.”
He added that Kokori struggled for the restoration of the June 12 mandate while in Bama prisons.
Keyamo stated, “I mourn the passing away of my father-in-the-struggle, my mentor and my guide. When Frank Kokori was in solitary confinement in Bama prisons for his struggle for the restoration of the June 12 mandate nearly 30 years ago, I personally represented him in various courts, fighting for his freedom.
“As a result, I became an adopted ‘son’ of his family. His late wife and children were constantly in court with me and I would spend time in their home in Surulere.”
The Senior advocate said he later joined Kokori “years later in the APC family in Delta State to struggle to liberate our state. He lived in the struggle and died in the struggle.”
“This is definitely the end of an era. My deepest condolences to his family members, the APC fold in Delta State and the Labour movement in Nigeria,” Keyamo stated.
Kokori made a distress call from his hospital bed over his health status on Thursday, November 9, 2023, lamenting that he had been neglected and abandoned to die despite his huge contribution to the democratic growth of the country.
Recall that Kokori emerged as a pivotal figure in the struggle for the validation of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election won by the late Moshood Abiola.
The former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the results, causing outrage and protests across the country.
Kokori was involved in mobilising the masses against the annulment.
He led NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in organising nationwide strikes that crippled the oil industry, the country’s economic lifeblood.
The strikes served as a powerful weapon against the military regime, putting significant pressure on Babangida to reverse his decision.
In addition to leading the oil workers’ strikes, Kokori was actively involved in pro-democracy activities.
He participated in various rallies and demonstrations, calling for the enthronement of democracy and the recognition of Abiola’s victory.
He also played a crucial role in building alliances with other pro-democracy groups and individuals, fostering unity and a common front against the military regime.
