THE Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has stated that the sudden death of Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, who was also the National Treasurer of the NLC, is a blow to the labour movement.
Comrade Agnes Funmi Sessi, the Chairpersonof the Lagos State Council of NLC, who
signed the letter of condolence addressed to the General Secretary of the NLC, stated Lagos workers received the sad news of Comrade Khaleel’s passage “on Wednesday October 7, 2020 with shock and consternation, but submission to the will of God.”
According to Comrade Sessi, “the departure of this great and extraordinary trade union leader,” is as much a blow to Lagos workers as it is to “NULGE, Nigeria Labour Congress, the people of Kano State and, indisputably, his family.”
She prayed to God to strengthen and grant the late Comrade Khaleel’s family and the Labour movement the fortitude to bear the loss.
Comrade Khaleel reportedly collapsed while playing a game of badminton on the evening of Wednesday, October 7, 2020 in Abuja and was rushed to the National Hospital where he was confirmed dead on arrival by doctors.
Comrade Khaleel until his death, was also one of two representatives of the NLC on the Governing Board of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) where he chaired the Audit Committee of the Board.
In the wake of the ongoing crisis that engulfed the NSITF following the suspension of the management of the organisation, Comrade Khaleel was appointed as chairman of the Audit panel set up by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to investigate the activities of the suspended management.
Khaleel, a graduate of Accountancy from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, also obtained MBA from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
He was a Member of the National Institute (mni) haven attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
Until his death, he was a staff of Kano State Ministry of Local Government. His remains has been committed to mother earth on Thursday in his home town, Wudil, in Wudil local government area of Kano State.
His legacy in NULGE
Comrade Khaleel’s greatest legacy as president of NULGE was his championing of the campaign for the autonomy of the local government system in Nigeria.
Throughout his leadership of the union that spanned over 8 years, Comrade Khaleel popularised and amplified the struggle for local government autonomy not only within the union but even more in the Nigerian political space where he led street protests, and advocacy campaigns to State Houses of Assembly, State Government Houses and the National Assembly in Abuja.
This earned him the title of Mr Autonomy on the campaign trail as state councils of his union designed hats with the title boldly inscribed on it.
