Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) today expressed shock and sorrow at the death of its former president Comrade Paschal Myeleri Bafyau who died Tuesday by 11: 30 pm, in Abuja.
A statement by President of the NLC Comrade Abdulwahed Omar described his death as a big blow to the Labour Movement and the democratic process in the country. Comrade Bafyau, 65, who passed on at 11.30pm on Tuesday 15th May, 2012 was the Congress President from 1988 to 1994.
Omar said the "five years he was NLC President were the turbulent years of the Generals Babangida and Abacha regimes. Comrade Bafyau had been elected NLC President in December 1988 after a ten-month seizure of the Congress by the Babangida regime. His Presidency ended in 1994 when the Military under General Abacha again seized the Congress.
"Despite this turbulent period in the country's history, which included the June 12 crises, Comrade Bafyau made remarkable achievements as NLC President. These include the building of the 12-Storey Labour House in Abuja, establishment of the Labour Transport Service (now Labour City Transport), the founding of the now defunct Labour Bank (LACON), and the establishment of the old Labour Party in 1989."
Bafyau was Board Chairman of the National Mass Education Commission from 2009, member of the 1986 Political Bureau and the 1987 Constituent Assembly. He was also a Board member of the Urban Development Bank (UDBN), the Nigeria Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), and the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
Similarly, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has also mourned the death of late Bafyau.
President-General of the union and Secretary, Comrades Peter Esele and John Kolawole,in a statement described the late labour leader as an eminent compatriot whose tenure as the President of Nigerian Labour was marked with great achievements.
The union said Bafyau's candour and responsiveness was one of the salutary influences that helped Nigeria wade through the turbulence that preceded the unwholesome abortion and truncation of the June 1993 election that was won by the late M.K.O Abiola.
According to the union, the late labour leader will be remembered for the numerous struggles which he led against the forces of oppression especially in the era of military dictatorship in Nigeria and the pivotal role which he played in conjunction with us in the formation of the Nigeria Labour Party.
''While we commit his comradely soul into the hands of the almighty God, we know that if there is further battles to be fought in the great beyond for the emancipation of Nigerian workers and Nigerians in general, Comrade Paschal will be in the forefront.
''The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), condoles our sister organisation the NLC, the family that he has left behind and all workers throughout the length and breadth of this country whose course the late workers' general lived and died for and ask God to give all the heart to bear this irreparable loss.
Daily Trust