Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has visited the family of late civil rights leader and labour activist, Comrade Bolakale Salihu, popularly known as CB, to offer his condolences.
Hashim paid the visit at Ikokoro Compound in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, where he sympathised with members of the deceased’s family, as well as his friends, associates and fellow activists.
Bolakale was known in Kwara’s civic community for his involvement in human rights advocacy, labour activism and democratic campaigns. He was a leader of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and participated actively in civic and pro-democracy activities across the state.
He was also associated with Kwara Must Change (KMC) and was involved in the Otoge political movement, which became a notable chapter in Kwara State’s recent political history.
His activism, however, extended beyond the state. Bolakale maintained links with organised labour and the broader civil society movement and was associated with the Joint Action Front (JAF), a pro-labour civil society coalition that has worked alongside organised labour on issues relating to workers’ rights, democracy and social justice.
Bolakale was also a close associate of the late Comrade Biodun Aremu, popularly known as Aremson, who was widely associated with Nigeria’s labour and progressive civil society movements. Their relationship reflected the links that existed between activists in Kwara and wider national networks of labour and pro-democracy campaigners.
Away from activism, Bolakale worked with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the Ilorin Airport. His professional career ran alongside years of involvement in human rights advocacy, labour struggles and democratic campaigns.
His passing has therefore been felt beyond his immediate family, with associates mourning the loss of a colleague who was involved in several civic and labour causes over the years.
During the condolence visit, Hashim paid tribute to Bolakale’s commitment to public service and civic engagement. He also expressed sympathy to the family and other members of the activist community who worked with the deceased during his lifetime.
The gathering brought together some of Bolakale’s associates, including people who had shared different stages of Kwara’s civic and democratic struggles with him.
Hashim was received by Justice Toyin Kawu, Bolakale’s uncle and a former schoolmate of the Accord presidential candidate at the School of Basic Studies, Ilorin.
For those who knew him, “CB” was part of a generation of activists whose involvement in public affairs went beyond electoral politics. His activities touched on human rights, workers’ interests, democratic participation and the demand for accountable governance.
The condolence visit offered an opportunity for Hashim and members of the wider activist community to remember Bolakale’s contributions and share in the grief of his family.
