Prominent Oodua Activist, Labour leader killed by hit and run driver

By Omolade Adegbuyi

A prominent Oodua self determination leader and one of the engine rooms of popular mobilisation in the Labour movement, Comrade Abiodun Aremu is dead. He was said to have been hit by a careless and irresponsible driver.

Aremu had survived deaths in many instances from the era of his leading campaigns against military rule through the establishment of the first self determination movement in Yorubaland to his iconic role in the Labour movement all through the past close to four decades.

Aremu was the first leader of O’odua Youth Movement, (OYM) of which people like Dr Fredrick Faseun and Dr Beko Ransom Kuti were members. It was from the OYM that O”odua Peoples Congress,(OPC) O’odua Liberation Movement, (OLM), Coalition of O’odua Self Determination Groups, (COSEG), O’odua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) emerged in later years. The OYM was the first group to write the Charter for Yoruba Self Determination which it submitted to the United Nations, (UN)

Aremu was the pioneer Chairman of OYM Chairman while the Secretary General was Abiodun Kolawole. Ironically, Kolawole also died in a road accident, unfortunately with his wife while travelling from Ilorin to Osogbo in December 2014. Both Aremu and Kolawole, the pioneer leaders of Yoruba self-determination haild from Kwara State.

Kolawole was former Secretary General, National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) while he also led the Ola Oni Centre at Osogbo before his tragic end.

Aremu and Kolawole ran the domestic division of the guerilla Radio, Radio Kudirat during the brutal years of military rule under General Sani Abacha.

The desperate search by the Military to locate the Radio led to Kolawole fleeing to Ivory Coast with his wife and two little children around 1996. He did not return from exile until 2002.

In later years, Aremu became more famous for role in the Nigerian Labour movement.

The Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC) through one of its leaders, Denja Yaqub said Aremu was one of the greatest revolutionaries and internationalists of our time saying Comrade Abiodun ‘Aremson’ Aremu joined the pantheon of revolutionaries.”
He describe him as “an inimitable leader of the working class who developed structures for collaboration and development of the Labour Movement. These include the Labour, Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and the Kolagbodi Memorial Foundation.”

Aremu was also responsible for building the Amilcar Cabral Ideological School (ACIS-M) mainly to consciencetise the youths, provide them praxis and encourage their development into full revolutionaries that can change the world.

Aremu was also the Secretary of the Nigeria Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara and, the Nigerian Movement of Solidarity with Cuba. He was a recipient of the Friendship Medal awarded by the Cuban Government to outstanding internationalists.

Yaqub said the greatest honour Labour can give “our fearless teacher and leader” is to continue in his footsteps and, build a world based on social justice.

In a statement made available to Irohinoodua, Comrade Oweh Lakemfa said the Aremu family has agreed with the Labour Movement that the interment of Comrade Abiodun ‘Aremson’ Aremu would be moved by about two weeks.

“This is to allow for proper mobilization and attendance.”

Aremu will now be interred on Thursday next week.

He said “Our hearts are with the dear family of our departed Comrade.”