Frank Kokori, remember him? He was the petite but fire-spitting General Secretary of NUPENG who led the oil workers’ strike that crippled the entire country and held the Sani Abacha military junta by the jugular, until he was arrested on August 19, 1994 and the strike crumbled. Kokori was thrown into solitary detention in Bama prison where he remained until the death of Abacha (8 June, 1998). Abacha’s demise threw open the prison door for Kokori's release by the succeeding military regime of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar on June 16, 1998. Kokori’s “crime”, like that of many other civil society activists and ordinary, conscionable Nigerians, was their demand for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won free and fair by MKO Abiola but which was mysteriously and inexplicably annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta. When the pro-June 12 clamour forced Babangida to infamously “step aside”, he installed erstwhile UAC chieftain, Ernest Sonekan, as chairman of a contraption called the Interim National Government. Abacha pushed aside the contraption after only a few months of waffle-shuffle by Shonekan and subsequently imposed a vicious dictatorship on Nigeria, rolled out the tanks and massacred peaceful protesters. Undaunted, Kokori went underground and led the oil workers’ protest that shut down the country. It was only after Kokori’s arrest that Abacha gained the upper hand but the after-effects of the Kokori or NUPENG strike reverberate to this day. For instance, the foundation for today’s comatose refineries was said to have been laid during that period when all manner of hands and methods were employed by the Abacha junta to make the refineries work anyhow in the absence of striking oil workers.
Kokori is a revolutionary par excellence. Last Monday at Ilorin, he was still spitting fire, saying it as it is, firing from all cylinders, and not minding whose ox is gored. On the occasion of the 2021 (17th) Harmattan School of the Nigeria Labour Congress held at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Kokori held the feet of his constituency, which is Labour, to the fire, unsparing and telling uncomfortable truths that could make many accuse him of being possessed of a malevolent spirit intent on spoiling the show and souring the mood for the array of dignitaries that graced the event - but for the fact of Kokori’s own pedigree! None can deny that he has paid his dues as a distinguished Labour leader! There is no question of anyone rubbishing his contributions or doubting his integrity. As chairman of the Governing Council of the Imoudu Institute, it would also be hard put for anyone to accuse Kokori of coming to ruin the day and foul the air. Apart from being the chairman of the opening ceremony, Kokori as Governing Council chairman was also, together with the Director-General of the Institute, Issa Aremu, a co-host of the event which ends on Friday.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, was absent but he was ably represented by his Minister of State, Festus Keyamo. Years back, Kokori had had a running battle with Ngige after the Minister reportedly stalled Kokori’s inauguration as chairman of the board of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). In the end, Kokori lost the NSITF but gained the Michael Imoudu Institute. Titled “Frank Kokori weeps, says Ngige oppressing him”, a news medium that reported the tango between Kokori and Ngige stated that “As he (Kokori ) spoke, his hands shook as he struggled to steady them. His voice was shaky as well. Even after taking a few seconds to calm himself, one could not only hear his voice shake but also feel his pains as he continued to speak...”
"The NSITF board with Kokori as chairman was reportedly constituted by Yemi Osinbajo in October 2017 in his capacity as acting president. Ministers are empowered to inaugurate boards of agencies in their ministries. Kokori recalled how he rejected bribes in the past because he decided to stand for democracy. ‘I spent four years in one of the worst prisons in the world, Bama Prisons, in solitary confinement. In 1997, I was declared a prisoner of war by Saint Pope John Paul. The same year, Nelson Mandela declared me a notable world prisoner of conscience’. The ILO also declared him prisoner of conscience. Kokori further said he was subjected to trauma for over two years after being congratulated several times by the minister and assured of inauguration by the president.
In the same news medium, however, the Ministry of Labour countered Kokori’s allegations against Ngige, stating that “the replacement of Kokori (as chairman of the Governing Board of the NSITF) and his transfer to the Board of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin, a diploma awarding institution in Labour Relations, as chairman, followed due process and has the president’s approval...
Enejamo-Isere (was subsequently appointed) as chairman of the NSITF to bring his wealth of experience as a senior member of the Chartered Institute of Insurance as well as Chartered Institute of Taxation to bear on his new appointment.” Well, all is well that ends well, as they say!
While researching this piece, I also came across an interview granted by Kokori to another news medium where, characteristically, he made many very explosive, even if truthful, statements. Examples: “People like us sit and weep when we see black people crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara desert looking for green pastures in Europe. And then we now remember people like Kwame Nkrumah, Nyerere of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda, the Azikiwes, Awolowos: if these people were still here, we wouldn't have this type of stings and humiliations of the black people of the continent. In Nigeria, we were at a higher pedestal than countries like India, Malaysia and the rest”; “You can see that there’s so much injustice and corruption in the country. You have the biggest billionaires in the world in Nigeria and the poorest people who can’t even earn one dollar a day in this country. So, this is the root of the whole thing. When people today cry about fuel subsidy; it’s not that the Nigerian fuel is really high. The issue is that the people have been pauperised. The problem is that you have the super rich people and the real poverty-stricken people of this world in Nigeria”; “Nothing happened to (my) dream (of a better society); it’s just that I was born in the wrong country, that’s all. There’s too much corruption in this country” ”Do you know what they call clinical auditing or forensic auditing? Accountability! There’s no accountability in this country”. “They’ve destroyed the country. The education system - they’ve destroyed it. You see people who have school certificates (but who) can’t write. The university people, when I see them write certain things, when I look at their sentences and spellings, I just shake my head.” He said a lot more!
In case you think Kokori no longer carries fire because of age or the fact he has now “joined them”, as they say, you should hear what he told his fellow Labour leaders at Ilorin last Monday! He started by saying the Kokori of today is not the same Kokori of yore because age, naturally, has slowed him down – but his tongue was still as sharp as ever. “I remember my days as Labour leader. Labour is not a bread and butter thing but you should be the tribune of the people. Labour should take up the struggle against corruption. If Labour fails to fight, then, the country is doomed.” Recalling that before he was arrested by Abacha the pump price of petrol was N2.70 per litre, he said Abacha jerked the price to N11.00 immediately after his arrest.
“But you fight for minimum wage; why allow our four refineries to go down? Warri refinery used to have the best kerosene but no more! I am not happy with what organised Labour is doing (in that respect). You have to fight corruption. You will have your minimum wage but because the Naira is worthless, you will pack Naira notes to the market to buy Indomie.”
Vintage Kokori! The physical body may be weak and weary but the fire still burns ferociously in the soul and belly of the revolutionary fighter. Born on December 7, 1944, last Monday when the Harmattan School of the NLC opened in Ilorin was a day before Kokori’s birthday and everyone stood up to sing him “Happy Birthday” in advance. The august assembly included the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak; Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo; NLC President, Ayuba Waba; NLC Secretary-General and other NLC big-wigs from Abuja and other states of the Federation; the D-G of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Aremu; the NLC Kwara State Council chairman, Aliyu Issa Ore; representatives of the ILO, Frederich Ebert Foundation, NECA and other Comrades and Labour organizations from within and outside the country.
For Frank Kokori, 77, author of “The struggle for June 12” (with the Foreword written by Femi Falana) it was honour richly deserved!
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