THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Friday expressed sadness on the death of Canadian labour and anti-Apartheid activist, Paul Puritt, who passed on at the age of 84.
The NLC, described the late activist in a statement as “a friend of Nigerian workers, a lover of African working class and an anti-Apartheid activist.
Puritt, the NLC revealed, died on Friday, December 23, 2022 “in a care facility at the Ottawa General Hospital, Canada after struggle with ailment,” which it did not disclose.
In an announcement on Thursday, December 29, 2022, Puritt’s family stated that “a private cremation ceremony will take place on Tuesday, January 3rd” [2023], while also adding. “We’re also planning a memorial party, just like Paul would have wanted, probably on February 4th.
NLC’s statement, signed by Comrade Ayuba Wabba, reads in full:
“THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS MOURNS THE PASSING OF PAUL PURITT, PhD – A FRIEND OF NIGERIAN WORKERS, A LOVER OF AFRICAN WORKING CLASS AND AN ANTI-APARTHEID ACTIVIST
“It was with great sadness that we received the news of the passing of Paul Puritt, PhD. The great internationalist who was a friend of the Nigerian workers and the labour movement, a lover of the African working class and a dogged anti-apartheid activist died in the evening of Friday, 23rd December 2022, aged 84, in a care facility at the Ottawa General Hospital, Canada after struggle with ailment.
“Paul Puritt was born at St. Luc Hospital in Montreal, Canada on 28 July 1938 and later adopted Africa as his second home. His affinity with the struggles and triumphs of the African people was best exemplified when Paul was undertaking his PhD studies in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana United States. He focused his dissertation on the Meru People of Tanzania, a work that was later published in the Ethnographic Survey of Africa.
“Interested in establishing a strong connection with the people in his research, Paul moved his young family to Tanzania for 6 years. Within this time, he became fluent in Swahili language. After a brief stint as an anthropology lecturer in several universities, he joined the liberation movement to rid South Africa of Apartheid. He availed the opportunities of his work experiences both in Toronto Committee for the Liberation of Southern African Countries (TCLSAC) Toronto, and later as a regional director at Oxfam, to actively mobilize Canadian civil society and interest groups in support of the African National Congress and Nelson Mandela, whom he met on several occasions.
“In the mid-80s, Paul Puritt joined the Canadian Labour Congress as project planner in the International Department, where he worked with trade unions throughout Africa, leaving behind the legacy of a committed trade union educator who spoke truth to power.
“Paul would be rendered by Nigerian workers for his tireless support to sustaining trade union activities during the dark days of military rule especially during the periods when the Nigeria Labour Congress was proscribed by military regimes. He was instrumental to secret missions to build the capacity of trade unionists from Nigeria both within the continent and in countries of the western hemisphere.
“Perhaps, one of the biggest legacies of Paul Puritt was his peerless and invaluable contribution to developing the “West African Trade Union Education for Democracy” in conjunction with the Commonwealth Trade Union Council (CTUC). The multi-year West African Trade Union Education for Democracy project was aimed at strengthening the labour movements in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia and it helped to raise many trade union leaders.
“Paul Puritt retired in 2006 after a span of twenty productive years in the service of the Canadian Labour Congress. In attestation to his commitment to the labour movement, Paul continued to work on a number of trade union developmental projects around the world and kept in touch with his friends and events in the labour circles.
“At the commemoration of the NLC at 40 in 2018, Paul Puritt was one of the few trade unionists who received life-time achievement award for selfless and tireless service to the working people of Nigeria.
“Our departed comrade is survived by Anna who was his partner of twenty years. He would also be missed by his sons, their wives, his step-son, grand-children and a great grand-son, Matteo. He will also be missed by his siblings, Larry and Howard, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews and indeed the working family of the world.
“Paul would be interred in January 2023 and thereafter a party would be held by his family, friends, and associates to celebrate his worthy and shining contributions to the world of work and to humanity.
“Adieu, Brother Paul Puritt! Rest in Power!!”
Puritt’s Obituary
Paul Puritt, born at St. Luc Hospital in Montreal on 28 July 1938, passed away peacefully at the Ottawa General Hospital on the evening of 23 December 2022 at the age of 84.
Paul’s warm personality, charisma, wit, and sharp intellect touched many people throughout his long life. He loved telling jokes and stories, wordplay of all kinds, crossword puzzles, and bamboozling kids and adults alike with his signature penny trick. While not a foodie, he loved all things chocolate, especially Annette’s brownies and Rav’s chocolate chip cookies. Always collecting ideas rather than things, he read voraciously and held strong views on the ethical, social, and political issues of the day. In later years, he heartily engaged in street-side conversations with neighbours, such that a ten-minute walk often became a lively half-hour exchange.
Paul lived his early years in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. He graduated from the University of Toronto and obtained his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana, with a dissertation on the Meru People of Tanzania published in the Ethnographic Survey of Africa. To carry out his research, Paul moved his young family to Tanzania for 6 years and became fluent in Swahili. He was immensely proud of this accomplishment, especially when, years later, local market vendors commented on how well he spoke it.
Early in his professional life, Paul taught anthropology at several universities in the USA and Canada, where he then worked to support African liberation movements and was particularly involved in the fight against the South African apartheid regime. As a member of SUCO in Montreal, TCLSAC in Toronto, and later as regional director at Oxfam, he played an active role mobilizing Canadian civil society in support of the African National Congress (ANC) and Nelson Mandela, whom he met on several occasions.
In the mid-80s, Paul joined the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) as project planner in the International Department, where he collaborated with trade unions throughout Africa, leaving an indelible mark as a popular trade union educator and a leader who spoke truth to power.
He was also deeply engaged in building international solidarity within the Canadian labour movement. In the ten years prior to his retirement in 2005, Paul’s responsibilities shifted to Asia and the Middle East where he oversaw projects aimed at abolishing child labour, promoting gender equity, and advancing labour rights.
Paul developed many profound and lifelong friendships and kept in touch with numerous friends around the world. Paul would often say proudly that he’d been to over 87 countries. He was particularly fond of and attached to Yemen and to the city of Aleppo in Syria, both now devastated by war.
He was loved by many and will be missed by many, particularly Anna, his partner of twenty years, his sons and their wives, Edan and Judy, Jeffrey and Annette, his step-sons, Jan and Rav, as well as his 6 grandchildren Alicia, Calvin (Ksenia), Daniel (Kenzie), Joseph (Nicki), Alexa, Nathan (Serena), and his great-grandson Matteo. He will also be sadly missed by his siblings, Larry (Betty) and Howard (Jackie), and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
The family is deeply grateful to the nursing staff of the Acute Monitoring Area (AMA) of the Ottawa General Hospital for their attentive and compassionate care of Paul, as well as to his doctors.
Reflecting Paul’s wishes, a memorial party to celebrate his long and rich life will be held at the end of January. A notice will be sent out shortly as arrangements are finalized. Donations in Paul’s memory may be made to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind or the Center for Macular Research at the University of British Columbia.
The obituary, released by Puritt’s family, was made available to National Record by a close friend of Puritt in Nigeria.
