Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Chief Frank Kokori, has died at a private hospital in Warri around 1:30 am on Thursday, December 7, 2023.
Before his demise, Kokori was been hospitalised over kidney-related ailment for the past month.
Sources revealed that Kokori died at the age of 80, which was coincidentally his birthday.
According to Kokori’s Personal Assistant, Atawada Oke said his health relapsed on Monday when he was unable to interact with people around him while he was placed on life support.
It was also revealed that Kokori made a distress call from his hospital bed over his health status on Thursday, November 9, 2023, lamenting that he had been neglected and abandoned to die in spite of his huge contribution to the democratic growth of the country.
Some noted personalities like the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; officials of NUPENG among others visited him.
Going memory lane, Kokori will be remembered for the role he played as a pivotal figure in the struggle for the validation of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election won by late Chief Moshood Abiola.
It could also be recalled that Military junta, Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the results, causing outrage and protests across the country.
Although, his impact on the situation also stretched towards mobilising the masses against the annulment.
He also achieved the feat of leading NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in organising nationwide strikes that crippled the oil industry, the country’s economic lifeblood.
The strikes served as a powerful weapon against the military regime, putting significant pressure on Babangida to reverse his decision.
Kokori was actively involved in pro-democracy activities, in addition to leading the oil workers’ strikes.
