Tribute to Aloysius Morgan Anigbo

The remains of Comrade Aloysius Morgan Anigbo, mni  was laid to eternal rest last Friday, 9th of May at his country home of Amankwo-Eko, Enugu state. Yours comradely was among the numerous immediate and extended family members, well wishers and comrades of the late Morgan to bid a worthy fighter an eternal farewell. I was […]

The remains of Comrade Aloysius Morgan Anigbo, mni  was laid to eternal rest last Friday, 9th of May at his country home of Amankwo-Eko, Enugu state. Yours comradely was among the numerous immediate and extended family members, well wishers and comrades of the late Morgan to bid a worthy fighter an eternal farewell. I was there as a comrade and family friend of the diseased, representative of NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and representative of the President of Alumni Association of the National Institute, (AANI) both of which Comrade Aloysius Morgan was a proud member underscoring his value addition as an organizational man. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Like many other well meaning Nigerians, the sad news of the death of Comrade Aloysius Morgan Anigbo, mni, came to us with a great shock.  He passed away on Wednesday 26th February 2014 at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, during a brief illness, at the age of 81.
He was a pioneer Head of Organisation of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after the historic restructuring of the NLC by Murtala/Obasanjo military regime in 1978.  His dedication to organising made him to be popularly nicknamed ‘ORGANIZED’. Appreciating the primacy of Organizing to the labour movement, Comrade Anigbo was a tested foot soldier of African working class. Interestingly, he started his working career as a Reporter and Proof Reader with The Daily Comet, one of Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’ newspapers. He was a militant Zikist during the historic struggle for Nigerian independence in the 40s and 50s! He was a member of Staff Consultative Council of UAC, Northern District Headquarters before serving as the National Organising Secretary of Electrical Workers Union of Nigeria and the Cameroons.
He was appointed General Secretary of Railway Technical Staff Association from where he went to study Industrial Relations at Xavier Institute of Industrial and Labour Relations, and Cornell University in New York. He was at various times a National Treasurer of the Nigerian Union of Railwaymen Federated. He was a Co-ordinating Secretary of Nigerian Affiliated Trade Unions to the International Transport Workers Federation.  At the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), he rose from the rank of Pioneer Head of Organisation of the Congress in 1978 to become Deputy General Secretary.  He retired as Acting General Secretary of NLC after the unfortunate intervention of the Abacha regime in the affairs of the NLC in 1994. Comrade Anigbo was part of the great struggles of NLC for minimum wage in 1981, 1992 and decent work in general under three NLC Presidents, namely Comrades Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, Ali Chiroma, mni, late Pascal Bafyau, mni.
Late Comrade Anigbo, mni, was an active alumnus of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos. He was a participant of Senior Executive Course (SEC) 13/1991.  Late Comrade Anigbo was one of the foremost trade union leaders that successfully attended the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in addition to other courses and conferences at home and abroad.  His study on The Role of Nigerian Trade Unions in National Development has remained a useful reference material to many researchers till date. As an active member of the Alumni Association of the National Institute, (AANI), Late Comrade Anigbo participated in most activities of the Association including our Annual General Meetings (AGMs) for a better society.
We join millions of people to give testimony that Late Comrade Aloysius Anigbo was a tested Comrade. We bear witness to his tremendous contributions to the growth and development of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in particular and the Nigeria labour movement in general.  He was highly dedicated and committed to the defence of workers’ rights, trade unions unity and working class solidarity.
Late Comrade Anigbo was a global citizen and participated in a number of courses and conferences at home and abroad. He was multi-skilled as a working reporter and organiser in various unions that included electricity and railways unions. He was at varying times both an elected and appointed labour leader in the cause of serving the working people of Nigeria and Africa. He was part of the great success stories of Nigerian working people for the right to organise and free collective bargain for minimum wage, fair working hours and income adequacy after work (pension).
His death is a great loss to his family, the Alumni Association of the National Institute and the global labour movement he diligently served for many years. At a time our country increasingly loses committed patriots, Nigeria will definitely miss the singular passion, patriotism and commitment of Comrade Morgan Anigbo. The late Nelson Mandela once rightly observed about life that; “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Undoubtedly Comrade Anigbo lived a rewarding life that has made positive difference to the lives of African working people in terms of dignity of labour, adequate pay among others.
May the Almighty God grant him eternal rest.