Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Chief Frank Kokori, has passed on at the age of 80 years.
The erstwhile labour leader died at a private hospital in Warri around 1:30 am on Thursday, December 7, 2023, which is coincidentally his birthday.
Kokori’s Personal Assistant, Atawada Oke, announced the passage of the veteran labour leader to journalists early Thursday, saying Kokori has been on hospital bed over kidney-related ailment for the past month.
Oke said Kokori’s health relapsed on Monday when he was unable to interact with people around him while he was placed on life support.
Kokori made a distress call from his hospital bed over his health status on Thursday, November 9, 2023, lamenting that he had been neglected and abandoned to die in spite of his huge contribution to the democratic growth of the country.
Consequently, dignitaries including Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; officials of NUPENG among others visited him.
Born on December 7, 1944, Kokori attended Urhobo College, Warri, 1959-62; Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1963-64; University of lbadan, 1974; Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands, 1984.
He began his working career as Tariff Clerk, Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (now National Electric Power Authority, NEPA), 1966-77; District Sales .Representative, Lever Brothers Nigeria Ltd., 1971-72.
Unionism beckoned on him when he was elected General Sec. National Union of Nigeria Bank Employees, Secretariat, 1975-78; National Sec. National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas-Workers, 1978; mm: Constitution Review Committee, 1987-88; National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress; Vice President African Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers.
The late labour icon was at the Constituent Assembly, 1988-89; and joined full time politics serving as the first Administrative Sec. of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission; Administrator of the defunct Social Democratic Party in Oyo and Osun States; National Financial Sec. of the Party.
His political activities saw him being arrested and detained by the Abacha Government in 1994; but was released in June 1998 by the Abdulsalami Abubakar Government.
Kokori was part of the political struggle for the validation of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election won by late Chief Moshood Abiola.
He is survived by his wife Esther and two children.
