By Dapo Akinrefon
LAGOS — The Centre for Change, CFC, has described the death of the General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr Emma Ugboaja, as a devastating blow to the labour movement.
The CFC, in a statement on Sunday by its President, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, said Ugboaja was at the forefront of the struggle for a better life for Nigerians and remained committed to defending workers’ rights.
The statement read: “The Centre for Change received with deep shock the news of the death of Mr Emma Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“Mr Ugboaja’s loss is a devastating blow to the movement at a time when ordinary Nigerians need courageous leadership to confront oppression and defend their rights.
“We recall Mr Ugboaja’s tireless efforts to defend Nigerian workers. For decades, he stood in the vanguard of the struggle for a better life for the people.
“From his days as General Secretary of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE, he set aside his professional training as a lawyer and committed himself fully to the welfare of the underprivileged.
“As scribe of the apex labour centre in Nigeria, he remained consistent. Despite the weight of responsibility and repeated confrontations with the powers that be, he never wavered in his commitment to defend the working class.
“As a Director of the Alliance for Credible Elections, he also contributed immensely to the return and consolidation of democratic values in our nation.
“While his death is a monumental loss, we take solace in the fact that he has already earned an honoured place in the nation’s hall of fame.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, the President and entire leadership of the NLC, and Nigerian workers at home and in the diaspora.
“Mr Ugboaja may be gone, but the ideals he lived and died for will continue to guide us. As we mourn, we remain committed to pursuing the struggles he championed.”
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