….MINILS Honours MKO
…Hails President’s June 12 speech
As part of the 2023 Democracy Day and 30th anniversary of the annulment of 1993 June 12th elections, Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) has announced posthumous Fellowship awards for Nigeria’s Democracy heroes that include late Chief MKO Abiola the winner of the annulled election and Chief Frank Kokori, former General Secretary of National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers’ Union ( NUPENG) .
The Director General of MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu disclosed this in Ilorin at the Democracy Day event organized by the Institute on Monday in Ilorin. Aremu observed that given that democracy is indispensable for the realization of the core mandate of MINILS with respect to labour education, it was imperative to acknowledge and celebrate those who had sacrificed for building democracy in Nigeria and Africa adding that democratic process is indispensable for sustainable Decent work and labour education.
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“Late M K O Abiola was not only a pillar of sports in Africa, an investor in printing and publishing, a progressive politician who proclaimed “farewell to poverty” but an enthusiastic promoter of labour education through generous donation to NLC Education Fund in the 80s” Aremu said.
The Director General hailed the Monday June 12 speech of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for acknowledging the singular sacrifices of the likes of Chief MKO Abiola, his late wife, Kudirat Abiola, Pa Alfred Rewane, and Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (retd.) “who were silenced by the military junta while in pursuit of democracy”. He said President Tinubu was right on point that dead and living heroes of democracy commendably “gave their yesterday for the liberty that is ours today”.
Comrade Aremu observed that President Tinubu’s speech further renewed hope in democracy with affirmative commitment the truth, equity, fairness, respect for the rule of law, and the dignity of the citizens.
He therefore called on all stakeholders to be vigilant in defence of human rights and good governance through reindustrializtion, job creation and poverty eradication.
Speakers at the event included chairmen of NLC and TUC in Kwara state, gender activists, members of the civil society and people living with disabilities.
