Posted by By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Okey Nderibe & Margaret Odeyemi on
AS the late Executive Director of the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), Mr. Chima Ubani begins his final journey to eternity, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other activists have asked Nigerians to mourn for the country because those directing the affairs of the country are leading it towards poverty, backwardness and misery.
LAGOS - AS the late Executive Director of the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), Mr. Chima Ubani begins his final journey to eternity, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other activists have asked Nigerians to mourn for the country because those directing the affairs of the country are leading it towards poverty, backwardness and misery.
At the lying-in-state held at the Yaba Sub-head office of the NLC yesterday, to honour Mr Ubani who died on September 23, the consensus among speakers was that the greatest honour to give to Mr. Ubani was to ensure that the struggle for a better Nigeria which he lived and died for must be fought to a logical conclusion.
Amongst those that attended the lying-in state included, former Military governor of Lagos state, Rear Admiral Ndubusi Kanu, President-General of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Comrade Peace Obiajulu, General Secretary of NLC, Comrade John Odah, Former President of CLO, Mrs Ayo Obe, General Secretary of Congress of Free Trade Union (CFTU), Comrade Didi Adodo, Comrades S O Z Ejiofoh, Bright Anokwuru, Mr Femi Falana Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Comrade, Theophilus Orisakwe, and Mrs Ngozi Iwere
The CLO boss died alongside the Deputy Photo Editor of Vanguard, Mr. Tunji Oyeleru in an auto crash while traveling in the official Jeep of the NLC President along Pokistum-Bauchi road, on their way to Abuja, after an anti-fuel hike rally in Maiduguri, Bornu, state.
In his funeral oration, President of NLC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole lamented that like other great men and women, who invest their brains and souls and time in the struggle for freedom and progress. The late Ubani invested everything that he had in the course of freedom and progress of the Nigerian state.
According to him: "You wanted our people to be free. You wanted decent jobs and decent pay for Nigerian workers. You wanted Nigerian students to study in comfort and in peace, and you wanted the children of the poor to have opportunities break out of poverty. You wanted our people to have the things that make life meaningful. You wanted our country to enjoy the fruits of its endowments. You wanted a society that will be democratic, caring, responsive and united. We respect you because you gave your best for Nigeria. We value you because you made great sacrifices for and on behalf of the people of Nigeria, including the unborn generations. Chima, there is sorrow in our hearts and there are tears in our eyes. We mourn you but we also mourn for our country. We mourn for a country which allows its very best to be cut down when they are needed most. We mourn for our country because those who lead it lead it towards poverty, backwardness and misery. We mourn because those who lead our country lead it away from progress".
"For those who have never seen a hero, here lies an authentic hero. Here lies a hero of Nigeria and a hero of Africa.