Dr. Lasisi Adam Osunde
Dr. Lasisi Adam Osunde was born in the ancient kingdom of Benin on the 28th of July 1928 to Adams Osunde and Alimotu Guobadia.
| Born | 28th of July 1928 |
| Died | 26th September 2008 |
EARLY EDUCATION
- Baptist School Benin (1937-1938)
- Government School Benin City (1937- 1942)
- Oduduwa College Ile-Ife (1 Year)
- Edo College Benin City (1944-1947)
His work experience began in 1948 when he joined the General Post Office as a first class Postal Officer and Telegraphist. He was trained as a telegraphist and wireless operator in then telegraphic school in Lagos for one year. It was there he joined trade union almost immediately, where he held the following post between (1948-1960):
- Secondary of general Post office branch of union of posts and telecommunication workers of Nigeria (1950-1952)
- Secondary Lagos district of union of post and telecommunication workers of Nigeria (1953- 1960)
- Acted occasionally for General Secretary of Union of post and telecommunication workers of Nigeria (1955-1960)
- Member National Executive Council of Union of post and telecommunication workers of Nigeria (1952-1960),during the Nationalist movement with leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo.
Osunde was introduced to the socialist movement through his uncle – Mr. Bankole Akpata who trained in Czechoslovakia and got a PhD in philosophy. While still in school, Osunde started collecting information from the communist movement about what youths were doing around the world to fight imperialism and the Colonialist government did not take kindly to it.
Because of his activities he rose to be the Assistant General Secretary of the union in charge of the entire Lagos area. People respected him more though, he was just an assistant he was more of a focal point, of course this gave the government headache, and since the police could not do much, someone was sent from Scotland Yard to monitor him. Between 1958-1959, he was arrested for union activities, indicted charge to court freed and acquitted by the magistrate judge.
He was then advised by his Colleagues to leave the Country. It was against this backdrop that he applied for and got a scholarship to study economics and political science in the Friendship University in Moscow. During the opening of the University, he was selected to represent the foreign students. His speech got the attention of the then Russian Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev that he had to hug and kissed him. He became popular with the communist government and through him and some other Colleagues, they brought various Nigerian Students to study in the defunct Soviet Union. After graduation in 1965, he came back home. He was arrested on arrival at the airport and detained. His crime? “For hugging Khrushchev”.
He was employed in the University of Lagos and rose to the position of Senior Lecturer, but was retired in 1975 by the Muritala/Obasanjo Military Government. While in the University, he was involved in the socialist movement in Nigeria. Before he joined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), he was already contributing to the labour movement through seminars and lecturers free of charge.
He joined the NLC in 1976 as the General Secretary of the Municipal and Local Authority Workers Union of Nigeria. He held the post of Deputy General Secretary NLC between 1979-1981. He won the election for the post of the General Secretary of the NLC but had to step down for Aliu Dangiwa due to Federal character, however the pressure from the Nigerian workers compelled Dangiwa to resign and Osunde became the General Secretary of NLC. Where among others, he;
- Coined the NLC Logo’s “Labour, Creates wealth”
- Succeeded in uniting the Nigerian workers against Military regime.
- Ensuring the President Shehu Sagari had to accept pressure to declare May day a public holiday.
- Tried to ensure that democracy was enthroned in the Country.
He was a student participant of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru from February 1985-October 1985. He was a member of an eight-man committee charged with the task of bringing together a cross section of the Nigerian populace to chart the course of Nigeria’s external relations for the next 15 years under the “NIGERIA AND THE WORLD: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS TILL THE YEAR 2000”. He was detained among several other detentions for 11 days along with other Labour Leaders by the Federal Military Government from 4th – 13th June 1986 for planning a rally in support of the slain Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) students in Zaria on May 23rd 1986. He was a member of the study group on indirect taxation in Nigeria, and also served in a 20-member Modified VALUE Added Tax (MVAT) Committee to develop appropriate machinery for the introduction of MVAT in Nigeria. He retired from the NLC on the 28th of February 1993.
In August 1994, he turned down the appointment as Sole Administrator of PENGASSAN given to him by the military junta of Late Sani Abacha, after he (Abacha) dissolved PENGASSAN and NUPENG.
Stating “for over 45 years I have contributed to the building of the Nigerian Labour Movement. It is therefore inappropriate for me to accept a position which is likely to destroy a movement I have spent my life to build”.
– Dr. Lasisi Adam Osunde
A dedicated family man, he is survived by his four cherished children—Owen, Ighiwiyisi, Uwaifiokun, and Aibiokunla. His beloved wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Adesuwa Safu Lawani-Osunde, passed away in February 2014.
Though born a Moslem, he converted to Christianity in 1998. After he survived a diabetic coma, the first thing he requested was to be baptized by a Catholic Priest. He was baptized and confirmed on the 20th of March, 1998, he also requested to be given a proper Christian (Catholic) burial on his death..
A hero, a rare, gem, a pillar of support, a man with a large heart, a father, a mentor, an initiator and a knowledge bank.
He celestially answered the call of his creator on the 28th of August 2008 exactly a month after his 80th birthday, having successfully ran the race and finished his course.