Comrade Issa Aremu, General Secretary of the Textile Workers’ Union has described the passing away of Comrade Paschal Bafyau as a colossal loss to the labour movement.He stated this in condolence letter to Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, President Nigeria Labour congress,NLC.
Aremu noted that ex NLC president’s death “ in particular.. was an organisational loss to our union which at our 10th Delegates Conference in Asaba March this year honoured him with LABOUR SERVICE Award.
“Comrade Pascal Bafyau as General Secretary of Nigeria Union of Railwaymen (NUR) was elected President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in 1988. He was re-elected in 1992 during which the NLC struggled with military dictatorship. His tenure was arbitrarily terminated by the Abacha military dictatorship when the regime dissolved the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC in 1994. Pascal succeeded in keeping the labour movement together and united,”Aremu said.
Read the full text of his condolence letter below:
May 16, 2012
Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar
President
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
Labour House
Abuja.
Dear Comrade President,
CONDOLENCE
We received the sad news of the death of Comrade Pascal Bafyau mni, the 3rd President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after a brief illness. This is a colossal loss to the nation’s Labour Movement. In particular, it was an organisational loss to our union which at our 10th Delegates Conference in Asaba March this year honoured him with LABOUR SERVICE Award.
Comrade Pascal Bafyau as General Secretary of Nigeria Union of Railwaymen (NUR) was elected President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in 1988. He was re-elected in 1992 during which the NLC struggled with military dictatorship. His tenure was arbitrarily terminated by the Abacha military dictatorship when the regime dissolved the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC in 1994. Pascal succeeded in keeping the labour movement together and united. He also asserted labour’s independence notwithstanding the cowardly military intervention. His achievements also included initiating the construction of the Abuja Headquarters of NLC and the introduction of Labour Transport.
Comrade Pascal was the first labour leader to appreciate the linkage between economic unionism and political struggle. He was a pioneer labour member of the prestigious National Institute, Kuru Jos Alumni of SEC 7/1985. The NLC has certainly lost one of the last standing veterans of working class struggles.
On behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union and the generality of our members, please accept our condolences for this irreplaceable loss and do extend same to the family of late Comrade Pascal.
May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace (Amen).
Yours sincerely,
Issa Aremu, mni.
GENERAL SECRETARY
