By Nehru Odeh
Activist, elder statesman and former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, is dead.
Chief Kokori passed on in the early hours of Thursday December 7, coincidentally on his birthday, at Mount Horeb Hospital, Warri, Delta State, where he had been hospitalized. He was aged 80.
The health of the elder statesman was said to have deteriorated a week ago and was placed on oxygen until his passing today.
Personal Assistant to Chief Kokori, Mr. Oke Barry, confirmed the passing of the former labour leader.
He said the former labour leader’s health relapsed on Monday as he was unable to interact with people around him while he was placed on life support.
Kokori’s death came barely one month after he had cried out from his hospital bed on Thursday, November 9, 2023, that he had been neglected and abandoned to die in spite of his huge contribution to the democratic growth of the country.
“Our struggles were to build a country. The situation of the country…if I wanted billions, I’d have gotten it. Everybody including me stood to fight for democracy.
“I spent four solid years in prison. I did everything for democracy. There’s no freedom fighter in Nigeria like we have in South Africa. I used the instrument I had to restore democracy. You think I don’t mind money? I do but I won’t take what’s not mine. I’m a patriot,” Kokori said, recounting his days as a labour leader and his selfless contributions to emancipate the country,
The octogenarian had been on his sickbed at Mount Horeb Clinic, Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, over a kidney-related ailment since early November.
Kokori had, on Thursday, November 9, 2023, made a distress call at about 12:40 am to complain that life was ebbing out of him where he was receiving treatment for his kidney-related ailment.
Kokori, an Urhobo, hails from Ovu town in Agbon Kingdom of Delta State.
He was a founding chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).