By Columbus Chilaka Obasi Anyanwu
The author
I worked with Comrade Ali Chiroma from 1984 until 1988 when the General Babangida military government banned NLC after its alliance with NANS to fight against its oppressive policies. Comrade Chiroma was a very humble, intelligent, diligent, peaceful, and above all, an honourable labour leader. He would not hang around in his office unnecessarily. He was always fair. He never took advantage of me as his Secretary, because he was the President of NLC. He would sometimes tell me when it was time to close for the day – Columbus,’ let’s go, bo-o.’ He would not keep you longer than necessary.
It must be made categorically clear herein that I became Comrade Chiroma’s Personal Secretary by Divine Providence, because I was originally serving Industrial Relations and Productivity, and Information and Publicity Departments headed by Comrades Yahaya Hashim and Salisu Mohammed, respectively. But one significant event took place in the summer of 1984 when Comrade Chiroma’s secretary went on maternity leave, and I was, consequently, sent to hold fort for her until she resumed duty. But when she resumed duty, Comrade Chiroma requested the Administration Department to let me remain as his Secretary. Hence, I remained the Personal Secretary to both Comrade Chiroma, and his successor, Comrade Paschal Bafyau.
On one occasion, Comrade Chiroma warned the National Administrative Council (NAC) of NLC to desist from over-burdening me with their respective departmental workloads, as I used to work for all the departments, irrespective of the fact that they all had their own secretaries. Comrade Chiroma was quite protective, which is one of the core attributes of a true leader.
A lot of people might have forgotten the momentous outwitting of the flamboyant Denis Akumu – former Secretary-General of Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) during the organisation’s chequered delegates conference which was held in Lagos in 1986. The consequent division that engulfed OATUU was not to weaken Chiroma, but was in effect some kind of adrenaline to him, as he became the interim President of OATUU. That singular event helped strengthen the sphere of influence of NLC in both Africa and the wider global organisations, like ILO etc., which in turn enabled Comrade Hassan Sunmonu to become a long-standing Secretary-General of OATUU for many years. Had he – Chiroma – not been incorruptible, audacious, objective and visionary, Nigeria would have lost the leadership of OATUU for a lengthy period of time. The above crises/incidents were litmus tests for his personal morality and pragmatic-revolutionary leadership, all of which he passed.
The outbreak of crisis during the NLC’s Delegates Conference in Benin in 1988 between the Shamang’s camp, called the democrats and Comrade Chiroma’s camp, called the socialists, proved the true character of the leadership of Comrade Chiroma. Comrade Chiroma and I were both lodged in the same wing of Emotan Hotel in Benin. The so-called democrats were determined to crush him, but he remained his usual self – calm and unintimidated. The rest is now history.
There is an Igbo aphorism that goes thus: ‘Onye akpala nwagu akana odu, ma odi ndu, ma onwuru anwu’, which means: ‘Let no one touch the tale of a lion, whether or not it is dead.’ Comrade Chiroma possessed the innate characteristics of a wounded lion, that would fight fiercely to prove its attackers wrong. Comrade Chiroma was never a rabble-rouser. But simply because he always visibly bore a calm demeanour, his critics, more often than not, mistook that for weakness. But late Comrade Ali chiroma was quite sagacious and courageous, and that was why he was able to accomplish so much within only four years of his leadership of NLC.
Late Comrade Ali Chiroma treasured knowledge and innovation and was consequentially a transformer and that was how he vehemently transformed the Nigeria labour landscape by incorporating a new breed of intelligentsia in the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) during his tenure. And that was how the firebrands like Comrade John Odah (who eventually became the youngest General Secretary of NLC ever, Issa Aremu, Chom Bagu., Chris Uyot, etc. became part of the NLC’s Think-Tank.
Late Comrade Chiroma was a consummate leader, as he had no trait of religious or tribal bigotry. He was a Hausa Moslem and I am an Igbo Christian, and he never frustrated me in any way. The religious and tribal menace that has been so ferociously gobbling up Nigeria had no place in his lexicon.
Untainted generosity was another good quality of Late Comrade Chiroma. “My Oga” Chiroma, you created the enabling environment for me to thrive in the NLC, and your successor Late Comrade Paschal Bafyau carried on from where you stopped in 1988, by maintaining my onward progressive movement. That immortal transformative contact with you, Late Dr Lasisi Osunde and Late Comrade Paschal Bafyau created a whole new world for me, by taking me to Ruskin College, Oxford and University of Warwick, England, all on scholarships. I still remember the beautiful radio cassette recorder you bought for me during your participation in one of the conferences of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland. I will, forever, remain grateful for all you did for me.
Sycophancy is a big industry in our world, but it died a natural death under the dispensation of Comrade Ali Chiroma. There were those sycophants who would come to him with all sorts of rumours/stories just to extort money off him. But he would sincerely tell them ‘comrade(s), where do you think I would get such money?’ This is my only salary, it is for me and my family; I don’t have another means of income.’ The Babangida military regime saw him and late Dr Lasisi Osunde (the then Acting General Secretary of NLC) as a thorn in the flesh. Comrades Chiroma and Osunde would not succumb to bribe, hence, their steadfastness with the struggles of the Nigerian Labour Movement and other progressive movements.
The foregoing, notwithstanding, one would not forget to mention how Comrades Chiroma and Osunde were tortured when they were detained because of their alliance with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) against the oppression of the students, workers, and the masses between 1986 and 1988. Comrade Osunde once narrated their humiliating ordeal at the hands of the military junta during that detention, as stinky refuse was brought into their cell, which was part of the torture techniques applied by the autocratic regime to force them to renounce the well-organised struggle against the military dictatorship between 1986 and 1988. I therefore wish to use this medium to sincerely salute the unflinching commitment of the organised Labour under the able leadership of Late Comrade Ali Chiroma of NLC, and that of the then NANS leaders. That rare courage and loyalty of yours, exhibited to a genuine cause of the oppressed people of Nigeria, has been etched into the annals of Nigerian history. Some of the attributes of any true leader are vision, innovation, reputation, etc., all of which Late Comrade Chiroma possessed.
Any leadership or organisation that stubbornly adheres to status-quo would certainly become mundane and, as such, incapable of meeting the challenges from other opposing forces within and beyond the shores of that nation. The crux of the matter is, when that is the case, such leadership/ organisation would become moribund, and therefore, consigned to the dustbin of history.
Adieu!!!
The UK based author is a former Personal Secretary and Industrial Relations Officer to Cde Ali Chiroma who died in Nigeria recently
