Labour loses iconic fighter, Comrade Ayodele Akele
By Funmi Ojo
An outstanding member of the human rights community, Comrade Ayodele Akele has passed away.
Akele, popularly known as Iturity, was a union leader who devoted the greater part of his life to labour activism.
He was one of the student union leaders that fought hard against the introduction of tuition in Nigerian universities.
In the late 90s, he had a tough battle with the Lagos State Government when he led the campaign for workers right, an event that led to his being dismissed by the Lagos State Government.
Akele’s activism began at the Yaba College of Technology where he was an official of the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANs) in the early 1980s
Until his death, Akele was the Executive Director
Labour,Health and Human Rights Development Centre. He was also a law student at the University of Lagos.
The Akoko, Ondo State born former labour leader was also the National Secretary, National Conscience Party, (NCP) under which platform he ran as the Lagos State Gubernatorial candidate.
