ALTHOUGH the event lasted just a little over an hour and not as many comrades from the Nigerian left as had wanted to pay their last respects to Comrade General Martin-Luther Kassonghov Kasmarlot had the opportunity to do so, but the few who did, they spoke eloquently to the character of the octogenarian, a veteran of the Congolese revolutionary war, who passed on early this year on January 2nd.
From Comrade Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, who made the opening remarks in the day of tributes held physically and virtually, through the testimonies of those deeply involved in the struggles of the Nigerian labour movement and to the diplomats of countries with history of freedom and revolutionary struggles, General Kassonghov could be imagined chattering in his deeply accented English and chuckling on how endeared and beholden he is held by the Nigerian left. Indeed, it was a galaxy of tributes and commendably so from the few but tough activists and veterans who really knew and value the iconic fighter.
For Comrade Wabba, Kassonghov’s is a great loss to the Pan-African movement and the Nigerian working-class family. He said Kassonghov was a senior military officer in the Congolese Army during the progressive administration of the late Patrice Lumumba, the pioneer Prime Minister of Congo DR.
“He went on exile upon the assassination of Lumumba who he served loyally. He spent most of his time in exile initially as a guest of the Nigerian government and for most part of his stay also as a guest of the Nigeria Labour Congress,” Wabba said, stressing that Kassonghov was a dedicated progressive.
For the pioneer President of Congress, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, Kassonghov was more of a Nigerian than Congolese; a man who was dynamic, committed and defender of the truth. Sunmonu said while he was on exile in Nigeria, Kassonghov supported and gave his very best for the sake of justice and the struggle for the emancipation of the working class.
Comrade Sunmonu said his only regret in his relationship with General Kassonghov was his inability to invite him to Ghana while he was the Secretary General of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU).
“He is our labour hero, and he will always be remembered for his dynamism, for his commitment to the cause of workers and also for the defence of truth and rights.”
In his tribute, former General Secretary of Congress, Comrade John Odah, said when his generation of activists came into the labour movement, they met Kassonghov, particularly at the formation of the Nigeria-ANC Friendship and Cultural Association, which he advised and actively participated in its activity.
He said in the later part of his life, especially in the last twenty years, when the NLC took over the responsibility of his upkeep, Kassonghov participated in every single activity such that “if you don’t have an official invitation to any of the activities, he would come directly to either the NLC President’s office or that of the General Secretary for open confrontation.
“Comrade Kassonghov didn’t suffer fools gladly. If Kassonghov thought you were a reactionary no matter how highly placed you are, Kassonghov will tell you; no matter how small you are, he will say you are a reactionary and that you shouldn’t be associating with people who want to rescues the African continent,” Odah said adding that the late Kassonghov had a love-hate relationship with a number of Nigerian government officials right from 1976 when the Murtala regime brought him Nigeria. He said “Comrade Kassonghov lived a good life, a revolutionary life; go well and meet your ancestors.”
Also, Comrade Issa Aremu, Chairman, Governing Council, National Institute of Michael Imuodu Labour Studies, said the late Kassonghov fought for justice and fairness for all.
“We have really lost a comrade, a Pan-Africanist, an African optimist, who led a very good life, for the liberation of our continent for the struggle to emancipate the oppressed people of the world.
For Comrade Issa Aremu, the Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), the labour movement “has lost a comrade, a pan-Africanist and an African optimist who lived a good life for the liberation of the continent and the struggle to emancipate the oppressed people of the world.”
According to Comrade Aremu, Kassonghov “was a living Michael Imoudu in his own right” as he was “interesting also blessed with a long life like Imoudu who lived up to 100 plus.”
Aremu said the best tribute he has for Kassonghov is “to continue from where he left; the struggle for justices, for fairness. These are the best tributes we can give to him.” While stating that MINILS will consider giving Kassonghov a posthumous award to acknowledge his legacy of fighting for justice and fairness, Aremu also commended successive leadership of NLC for the struggle to accommodate Kassonghov and make Nigeria a home for him while alive.
Aremu agreed with Comrade Sunmonu’s tribute of saying that Kassonghov was even more Nigerian than Congolese and urged comrades to continue with Kassonghov’s culture of solidarity and hospitality for which he said Nigeria is really known. He said Nigeria should be able to teach other Africans the need for them not to be xenophobic but instead to see other Africans as brothers and sisters.
On a lighter note, Aremu recalled that Kassonghov was a very good dancer. “When you are looking for dancing steps of ’60s and ’70, I think you have to look for tapes and play back those dancing steps of Comrade Kassonghov. He was a remarkable dancer and I can remember. The last encounter I had with him; I think it was post-Covid when we did something in Congress and I came out around; when I met him at the entrance of Olaitan Hall, the first thing I told him was, Comrade Kassonghov you have to come and teach us, this is the time we must learn from you dancing steps; not knowing that that was the last one-to-one encounter I will have with him.”
Inn her emotion laden tribute Ene Obi, Country Director of ActionAid, said when she joined the NLC about 30 years ago, she met General Kassonghov at the NLC. She said for her, Kassonghov stands as a reminder of pan-Africanism, a reminder of the way Nigeria used to be in the forefront of the struggle for pan-Africanism.
According to her, Kassonghov “seemed to be on our side of the continent to be a reminder for pan-Africanism. He’s gone home and I felt really terrible to say that we are going to pay tribute to him because I did not hear of his death. Comrade Ene Obi said adding that as a result of this, it became very, very emotional.
“He was to me a Big Daddy; a father in Africa; a father of the struggle; he was just being a reminder and I have known him all these years and it was a very emotional moment for me,” she said lamenting that she did not make any move to contact Kassonghov during the lockdown.
Comrade Ene said she will dearly miss Kassonghov – “miss him from the scene, miss him as that person of what Africa used to be; of what Africa can be, and he reminds us of our greatness, he reassures you that you can do a lot of things; he reassures Nigeria that Nigeria needs to stand tall for Africa and so let him continue to be a reminder.”
For Comrade Owei Lakemfa, Kassonghov’s tribute is an occasion to recall the atrocities, the exploitation and oppression under colonialism in Africa. He said Kassonghov is a symbol of the committed resistance against the forces of oppression. According to Lakemfa, Kassonghov was a constant reminder of the sacrifices Africans made and are making, a symbol of the pan-Africanist spirit.
For the restrictive nature of a virtual platform and the very short duration that was allocated, the tribute would have gone on and on given the number of those lined up to speak but who were not able to majorly due to the challenges of access and time.
