‘He lived, died in the struggle’  — Keyamo mourns passing of Frank Kokori

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, has eulogised Frank Kokori, the former general secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

Kokori died in a hospital in Warri, Delta state, on Thursday, coincidentally on his 80th birthday.

In a statement on Thursday, Keyamo described the late activist as a “father in the struggle”, revealing that he “represented him in various courts, fighting for his freedom” when Kokori was confined in Bama prison, during his struggle against the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

“I mourn the passing away of my father-in-the-struggle, my mentor and my guide,” Keyamo said. 

“When Frank Kokori was in solitary confinement in Bama prisons for his struggle for the restoration of the June 12 mandate nearly 30 years ago, I represented him in various courts, fighting for his freedom.

“As a result, I became an adopted ‘son’ of his family.

“His late wife and children were constantly in court with me and I would spend time in their home in Surulere. I would later team up with him years later in the APC family in Delta state to struggle to liberate our state.

“He lived in the struggle and died in the struggle. 

“This is definitely the end of an era. My deepest condolences to his family members, the APC fold in Delta state and the Labour movement in Nigeria.”

On the morning of Thursday, Atawada Oke, Kokori’s personal assistant, confirmed the death of the former NUPENG leader who battled a kidney-related ailment for months.