By Femi Aborisade
Professor of Struggle is the name with which I saved the name of Aremson in my telephone contacts’ list. It is my belief that if titles were awarded for the degree of individual immersion into mass actions and emancipatory struggles of the working masses, our Aremson is eminently qualified to be awarded the rank of professor in mass action. Aremson’s identity on my tel contacts’ list sums up my perception of his life history. The struggle was his life. He lived a life of service. His ministry or mission in life was service in the altar of Mass Actions. Since I became conscious of Aremson, there was no major mass protest of the working class in Nigeria he was not actively involved in. He was a master of street mass action. He was always prepared to lose his freedom, and if results to that, lose his life in the course of fighting the cause of the downtrodden. Even when his ill health set in, he was writing to inspire, mobilize and encourage mass participation in peaceful mass action.
When he speaks, he does so passionately. He does so courageously. He does so convincingly. Whenever he speaks, the memory of the characteristics of two persons comes to my mind – my mentor, Comrade Ola Oni and Prof
Eskor Toyo. These are, indisputably, two great orators and Fathers of Nigerian Marxism.
I cannot remember exactly when I first gained awareness of the existence of Aremson. But perhaps that was in 1986. Reports of May Day activities in Ilorin, Kwara State, showed young Aremson protesting at the NLC rally with a placard “Reinstate Femi Aborisade now”. The leadership of the NLC had sacked me from my Education Officer position in the NLC Secretariat because of the radicalizing effects on the activities of workers who were attending NLC Education programmes. The graduates of the NLC School started asking questions relating to democratic running of their individual industrial unions and agitating that the unions should engage more in fighting for the members. For some forces, they could no longer accommodate that kind of Education Officer. A few unions and some rank and file workers kicked against my sack. Aremson and his comrades, among others, joined in protesting my sack.
Aremson was an educator of the working class and he would always involve me and Late Comrade Ola Oni in the education programmes he had opportunity to organize for trade unions, using different platforms.
Aremson was not just a Marxist. He was genuinely humane. Sometimes in 2013, when I was attacked twice within a period of about 30 days, by sponsored armed thugs under the guise of armed robbers in my official quarters in The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on account of being critical of corruption in the system along with some officials of the State Government, Aremson showed concern, just as other organizations and individuals such as the Late Governor Akeredolu, spoke up for me. Aremson promised that Joint Action Front (JAF) would speak up for me. He drafted a statement which he shared with me and said he was going to push within JAF. He came back to say some elements in JAF did not support the statement being issued. I thanked him for his humanism.
Aremson was selfless. He rendered his services free of charge and sacrificed his time in participating in interviews conducted for the Gani Fawehinmi Scholarship Scheme for indigent but brilliant students in different geopolitical zones of the country.
The last chat Aremson had with me was on 6/10/25 at 6.56pm. In the chat, he celebrated Nupeng and PENGASSAN for taking on the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote. He challenged us that with the strikes of Nupeng and PENGASSAN, a new phase has opened for which we should be prepared.
I replied him with a bow and the expression “maximum respect”. I didn’t know I was paying my last respect to him. I respect what he stood for, in life and I respect him in death. Good night, Aremson.
If the dead still meet in the life beyond, till then. If death means permanent end to any form of existence of being, soul and spirit, goodbye. What anyone cannot deny is that you impacted the earthly world in your own unique way.
Permit me to allow Aremson inspire us with his inspiring perspective as he expressed it in his last chat with me on Last chat of Aremson with me on 6/10/25 at 6.56pm.
What follows are the quoted words of Aremson which I copied from our WhatsApp chats:
“Comrade FA, I have just watched the ARISE interviews of ADAMS and listened to his argument, which was one sided and should ideally not supposed to because given his antecedent in the Labour leadership, Adams shouldn’t have jumped to the interview on the prompting of the ARISE Management who is a friend. But he failed the simple test of the tripartite relations in industrial relations – government as arbitrator, employer – employees. He shouldn’t have gone for that interview without having spoken or engaged the TUC & NUPENG – PENGASSAN, to have the benefit of their positions and why they had to proceed on the last option of STRIKE, in the first instance..
- You are my Teacher on Union matters, because, I have been educated and knowledgeable by the past 25 Annual Memorial Lectures I have the privilege of ORGANISING as the Executive Secretary of KMF and you should know more, but this STRIKE by PENGASSAN is novel and the leadership must be saluted because from the benefit of hindsight, it showed the resolve and seriousness of a UNION willing to ACT without composed talks that were the hallmarks of the ADAMS ERA from 1999 to 2007. It forced the TINUBU regime that was ambivalent and hoping a BLACK MARKET injunction would work to come to an understanding for the Union to SUSPEND the Strike..
- For me, a new era of serious ORGANISING and prompt action by UNion members, their Congresses and NEC have opened up and we must be ready to move with and development. The challenge now is for ASUU that has issued a NOTICE OF STRIKE to commence immediate mobilisation and ORGANISING and working out strategizes to prosecute the struggle to SAVE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE COUNTRY
- I SALUTE Comrade Usifo of TUC all the NEC of TUC and PENGASSAN for this new dawn in Trade Unionism in Nigeria. Am excited by it because am a disciple of Commandante Ernesto Che Guevara as am of Commandante FIDEL. CHE battle cry goes thus:🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽 A BATTLE IS EITHER WON OR LOST. THE MOST DECISIVE IS TO JOIN THE BATTLE!! Me Comrade Fidelista Abiodun Aremu joins every battle anytime, so long I breath!
Comrade Fidelista Abiodun, Aremu, October 6, 2025″
