Paschal Bafyau’s death shocking –NLC, TUC

Posted by admin Headlines Thursday, May 17th, 2012

Organised Labour, yesterday received the death of the former president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)), Pascal Bafyau with rude shock, even as the congress promised to immortalize the late labour leader.

President of the NLC, in an interview with Daily Sun said Bafyau’s death came as a shock to the congress as the past president was never reported ill and the congress was still mourning one of its officers, Olaitan Oyerinde, who was murdered in Edo State last week.

“Bafyau was a strong pillar of the congress, who played a major role in what the NLC is today,” he said. Omar said the late Bafyau was equally a veritable ally and intermediary between labour and the government, noting that his death at this period in the history of the labour movement in Nigeria was never anticipated.

“Among our modern day presidents of the congress, he was the first to have gone to the great beyond, hence the NLC would be playing a very important role in his burial, looking at his contribution to the labour movement in the country. We are waiting for the family to roll out the burial programme to see where we will come in, but definitely, we are going to be actively involved,” he said. Omar’s counterpart in the TUC, Peter Esele also was short of words when he learnt of the demise of the late labour leader, whom he described as a dogged fighter.

“The late Bafyau was a dogged fighter, who believed in fighting for the cause of Nigerian workers,” he stated.
The TUC president general said the late Bafyau’s death was a great loss and sad news for the entire Nigeria, stressing that he would be greatly missed by the labour movement.“He contributed to what we know as the NLC today, foundation and the structure of the NLC took root during Pascal’s time,” he added.

Esele’s statement was confirmed by the press statement which Omar later signed to announce the death of the labour leader, who was reported to have suffered a severe cardiac arrest and passed on at about 11.30p.m on Tuesday on his way to the hospital. Paschal Myeleri Bafyau, Omar noted had led the NLC as President from 1988 to 1994.

“The five years he was NLC president were the turbulent years of the Generals Babangida and Abacha regimes. Bafyau had been elected NLC president in December 1988 after a 10-month seizure of the congress by the Babangida regime.
His Presidency ended in 1994 when the military, under General Abacha again seized the congress.”

-Sunwp_posts