On Thursday 4th of April 2018 two-term globally acclaimed former President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and former Comrade Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole turned 66. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in Abuja on Tuesday, “the President Buhari noted with delight that Oshiomhole had won various awards and recognitions for courageous and selfless service to humanity, the nation and his community as a former leader of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and a governor.
The President extolled the vision, bravery and forthrightness of Oshiomhole in instituting long lasting changes in Edo for eight years, particularly the investments in people by enhancing the health, educational and physical infrastructure standard of the state. As a unionist and labour leader, Buhari acknowledged the vocal and frontline roles Oshiomhole played in ensuring a return to democracy and the entrenchment of democratic principles in governance. He noted that Oshiomhole achieved this feat by continually challenging the norms and emphasising the rule of law, people friendly policies, probity and accountability
The President affirmed that “the nation has benefitted a lot from the robust and responsive leadership style of the former governor, believing that as he grows older, his invaluable wisdom will be most useful for the growth of the nation.’’ Yours comradely has nothing to add to the felicitation/birthday tribute of President Muhammadu Buhari to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State and All Progressives Congress (APC) party stalwart and of course my mentor and inspirer on the occasion of his 66th birthday.
Having written about the “Essentials of Adams Oshiomole at 50 and 60”, I hereby bear witness that there can be no better tribute for the Comrade as a non-state and a state actor by a sit-in President of the Federal Republic than that of President Buhari. As someone who succeeded him as the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile and Garment Workers’ Union of Nigeria (NUTGWN), I bear witness that looking at the well documented activities of Adams as a Labour leader in the last four decades one can conveniently conclude that `Struggle is his (Adams) life’.
What with thousands of national and local collective agreements on wages, allowances, gratuities, hours of work, etc that bear the bold signature imprint of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the textile industry? Almost all the agreements were reached without national strikes (most were outcomes of robust negotiations) and win-win compromises between the employers and the unions. But Comrade Governor does not leave on agitations against injustice in the world of work alone. Nor is he just a dogged politician who has commendably demystified the “God father” in Edo! (By the way: where is Chief Tony Anenih, the God father of Edo State since Adams’ ascendancy as the governor?). At 65, it’s also time to come terms with the Comrade as a consummate organizer, organization man, team player, the inspirer, a father, the humorist, a good dancer and an achieved (not ascribed) leader.
My interest here is Adams as a motivator and inspirer. My activism dated back to my School of Basic Studies (SBS) days at Ahmadu Bello University in late 70s. Almost same time, the profile of Comrade Adams was on the rise as an organizer in the textile union in Kaduna. He had dramatically moved from a part time shop steward to a full time Secretary General of the biggest private sector union in Nigeria, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers Union in 1982 (then with as many as 250,000 worker-members!). Details are better reserved for Adams’ memoirs. In ABU, Zaria, we were of the radical left of socialism, (far left of the then radical PRP of late Aminu Kano, Balarabe Musa and late Abubakar Rimi).
It was remarkable that Comrade Adams undoubtedly stood out as a progressive unionist who approximated our idealistic socialist worker-led struggle for a better egalitarian Nigeria. It was a bipolar world of international socialism and capitalism with legitimate battle of ideological ideas.
Fate had it that I would start my active trade union working carrier with the Nigeria Labour Congress in 1987. At the NLC led by, Hassan Sunmonu, Ali Chiroma and Paschal Bafyau, after my university days, I met comrade Adams. He was first as a Vice President and later Deputy President of NLC. He was the youngest and most assertive on core Labour issue issues of collective bargaining, minimum wages, industrial development and economic development at the National Administrative Council, CWC and NEC of the NLC. The quality of knowledge Adams brought into the struggle marked him out among other NLC leaders after Hassan Sunmonu and Ali Chiroma, being the first and second Presidents of NLC respectively. Interestingly, comrade Adams the unionist was not politically partisan. Indeed compared to unionists like Frank Kokori of NUPENG and Pascal Bafyau late former President of NLC, comrade Adams then was “politically shy” as it were. He held the strong view that trade unions needed not be partisan for them to make independent case for the workers.
Today it is a great paradox that Comrade Adams remains the most successful politically exposed trade unionist, winning two elections including land mark judgment that validated his first victory. Back to Adams the inspirer, not necessarily the unionist. I had my frustrations with Paschal Bafyau led NLC and I had to take an exit from the NLC on principle and voluntarily too. But comrade Adams insisted I had value to add to the labour movement by bringing me to the textile union in 1988 at an interview at the then newly opened Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja Lagos. He encouraged me also to do my future Masters Degrees in labour studies in The Hague Netherlands in early 90s with almost a directive to go for the one year policy and strategic studies in NIPPS Kuru Jos. Happy birthday day to a motivator at 65! Aluta continua!

By Issa Aremu, mni | Publish Date: Apr 9 2018 2:00AM