The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed sadness over the passing of its former General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, describing his death as “a big blow to the unionist community in Nigeria.”

The Congress formally announced the death of its former scribe, describing him as a hero who would forever be missed.

Peter Ozo-Eson passed away on Saturday, December 13, during a protracted illness.

Born on 29th June 1948, Mr Ozo-Eson graduated in Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1974, where he was a student activist.

After a stint as Research Assistant at the Nigerian Institute of Socio-Economic Research Institute, NISER, and Graduate Assistant at the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, he left for Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, from where he obtained Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Economics.

He joined the services of the University of Jos in 1982, rising to the rank of Associate Professor before retiring from the University in 2002.

Earlier, he had taken a leave of absence from the University to serve as Director of Projects (and later Acting Executive Director) at the Centre for Advanced Social Sciences, CASS, Port Harcourt, between 1998 and 2003.

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He was head-hunted by the Nigeria Labour Congress to be its Chief Economist and Head of Research in 2003.

In 2014, he was appointed General Secretary, a position he held until 2019 when he voluntarily retired from service.

His public life spanned various spheres of life. A renowned academic and committed activist, he produced generations of scholars and made numerous negotiating teams of ASUU from 1992 because of his profound knowledge of the Nigerian economy and his negotiating skills.

He was the Auditor General of the Attahiru Jega-led ASUU national leadership. He similarly served on Congress’s negotiation teams with the government and employers, where his rich experience became an advantage to Congress.

He served as a member of the accreditation teams to Bayero University, Kano; University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri; Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, among others.

The NLC says with his death, the entire labour movement and the world of progressive elements have lost a scholar of repute, a researcher with an eagle eye, an administrator, an organiser and a battle-tested General of many wars.

The late economist is survived by wife Philomina Ozo-Eson, children and grandchildren.