Former NLC President, Sunmonu, Pays Tribute to Late Historian, Comrade Osoba

Hassan Adebayo Sunmonu, former President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), lauded the late historian Samuel Olusegun Osoba as a pivotal intellectual force who significantly shaped Nigeria's trade union movement. Sunmonu spoke at an inaugural symposium in Abuja, where academics and trade unionists gathered to commemorate Osoba's life and legacy.

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They were not adversaries but friends mentoring students.

Sunmonu emphasized Osoba's crucial role in bridging the gap between intellectuals and the labor movement. He noted that Osoba fostered collaboration among trade unions, university lecturers, and students, viewing them as mentors rather than adversaries. This integration, Sunmonu explained, was instrumental in equipping labor leaders with the knowledge to critically analyze and challenge economic policies promoted by international institutions.

Specifically, Sunmonu credited Osoba with preparing labor leaders to confront the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) advocated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. "When we were well tutored by our Nigerian intellectuals on the data of the World Bank, we became the apostles of anti-SAP," Sunmonu stated, adding that under his leadership, African trade unions rejected the prescriptions of these Bretton Woods institutions. He also recalled joint efforts by African labor leaders and the African Union to oppose unfavorable clauses in World Trade Organization negotiations.

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When we were well tutored by our Nigerian intellectuals on the data of the World Bank, we became the apostles of anti-SAP.

Professor Ibrahim Abdullahi of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, urged scholars and public intellectuals to honor Osoba's commitment to social justice. He called for a return to the archives with critical questions, to classrooms with courage, and to labor institutes to engage with workers, artisans, peasants, and unemployed youth. Abdullahi stressed that democracy cannot flourish without social justice, echoing Osoba's lifelong dedication to the common people.

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The best way to honour Osoba is to return to the archives with sharper questions, return to the classrooms with greater courage, return to the labour institute with the workers, the artisans, the peasants and the unemployed youths.

Osoba was recognized as a leading scholar in economic history and political economy, whose research delved into the structures of capitalism and neo-colonialism in Nigeria and their impact on national development. His work, including collaboration on "The Minority Report and Draft Constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1976)" with the late Yusufu Bala Usman, continued to influence discussions on constitutionalism and governance in Nigeria.

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Democracy cannot thrive without social justice.