The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 after a protracted illness.
Details surrounding his death remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced Ugboaja’s death to members of the Congress National Executive Council during their ongoing meeting in Enugu, Enugu State, according to Tribune newspapers.
Ajaero reportedly read a letter from the deceased’s family informing delegates of his passing.
Ugboaja, a veteran trade unionist and lawyer, had served as the NLC General Secretary since August 2019, following the ratification of his appointment by the Congress’s National Executive Council at a meeting in Kano. He succeeded the retiring Peter Ozo-Eson.
As General Secretary, Ugboaja was responsible for coordinating the administrative and strategic operations of the labour centre, including relations with the NLC’s affiliate unions, industrial relations, negotiations with government and employers, policy implementation and nationwide mobilisation.
His tenure coincided with some of the most significant confrontations between organised labour and successive governments over wages, workers’ welfare and economic policies.
