By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — Twenty years after the ill-fated Sosoliso air crash that claimed the lives of many Nigerians, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has paid tribute to its president at the time, Comrade Uche Marcus Okoro, who was involved in the crash.
The 20-year remembrance, tagged “A Day of Tribute in Honour of Late Comrade U.M. Okoro,” took place on Saturday at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. It was attended by dignitaries from the oil sector and the wife and family members of the late former PENGASSAN president, Lilian Okoro.
Speaking at the tribute, PENGASSAN President Comrade Festus Osifo said the gathering was to remember and honour the contributions of Comrade Okoro to the labour movement and his sacrifices to advance workers’ welfare in the oil and gas industry.
Comrade Osifo said the late Okoro had served as president of both PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.
He said: “The Central Working Committee of PENGASSAN deliberately chose to celebrate the life and times of our past, amiable president, Comrade Uche Marcus Okoro, who tragically died in the Sosoliso plane crash on December 10, 2005—about 20 years ago.
“We are gathered to remember his immense contributions to the labour movement, his dedication, and the sacrifices he made to advance workers’ welfare in the oil and gas industry and Nigeria at large.
“This remembrance is also to tell our members and the wider world that we do not forget our leaders, irrespective of how much time has passed.
“Remembering him after 20 years is our way of saying ‘thank you,’ and also reassuring his family that PENGASSAN stands by its leaders—not only when they are alive, but even after they are gone.
“The essence is to honour and put in proper perspective the legacy of Comrade Okoro; his work for Nigerian workers, for the labour movement, and particularly for oil and gas workers.”
Osifo, who also serves as president of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, further stated that the event echoed a fundamental truth that has stood the test of time in the oil and gas industry, stressing that it is not government benevolence or management goodwill, but the strength, consistency, and dedication of PENGASSAN’s leadership.
“What workers enjoy today is not because government loves the workforce, nor because employers are generous. It is because PENGASSAN has remained firm, principled, and courageous over the years.
“By extension, this is a message to Nigeria’s political class: when you lead well, you will be remembered. When you think about the man going to bed hungry, the woman without shelter, and children without a future—and you choose to serve selflessly rather than embezzle public funds—you will leave a lasting legacy.
“But if you choose the other path, history will forget you. Some leaders’ names are only remembered today because of looted funds being recovered abroad. When people hear ‘Abacha loot,’ they ask, ‘Who was Abacha?’ That alone should be a lesson.”Leadership is transient. How many houses can one man live in? How many rooms can you sleep in at once? Leadership is about service—about lifting people from poverty, ensuring quality healthcare, functional education, food security, and basic infrastructure.”This is exactly what Comrade Uche Marcus Okoro stood for throughout his life.”
Also speaking, former PENGASSAN President Comrade Peter Esele said: “Today is not a time for mourning. We are not mourning. Rather, we are here to celebrate ourselves and commemorate what happened 20 years ago. More importantly, this gathering is to remind people of the importance of the trade union movement, especially in light of the sacrifice made by our then-president.
“This occasion sends a clear message to Nigerian leaders about their responsibility while in power. Leadership is about service. When you truly serve, you find fulfillment.
“As I have said before—and I am not joking—PENGASSAN does not owe me anything. For the rest of my life, I owe PENGASSAN. Before I joined the union, my salary was good, but PENGASSAN made it humongous. For that reason alone, I feel deeply indebted to the union. Becoming PENGASSAN president or deputy president was simply icing on the cake.”
On his message to leaders, Esele said: “When you serve well, you leave behind a legacy—one that people will always remember and refer to. I left PENGASSAN in 2008; that is almost 18 years ago. Yet, if I tell anyone today that I once served as PENGASSAN president, it still resonates. Without a legacy, nobody remembers you.
“That is the message to our leaders: service is everything. When you live a life of love and service, simplicity follows. We complicate life ourselves.
“But when you choose simplicity, love, and service, you will find happiness, your family will be happy, your children will be happy, and everyone around you will want to see you succeed. That, truly, is what leadership is about.”
In the shadow of her late husband’s unyielding commitment to the masses, his widow, Comrade Lilian Okoro, recalled their early marriage with a mix of fondness and frustration. Already a graduate when they wedded, she had turned to him amid his rising prominence in the labour union, pleading, “Can’t you help get me a job?”
According to her, his response was pure principle: “In the union, we don’t ask for our own things. We represent the people that elected us. We talk about the welfare of the masses. With this position, I can’t get you a job, but nevertheless you’ll be okay.”
Mrs. Okoro said her late husband was a selfless man to the poor, often pushing aside his own meal if a call came about someone losing their job—making endless calls to help while going hungry himself.
She said the Sosoliso tragedy that struck left her devastated with six young children and no clear path forward.
“When it happened, I nearly even took my life,” she confessed. “I said, ‘Where do I start from? Six young children with my age. I was very, very young.'”
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