THE Hon. Justice R. H. Gwandu of the Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC) has issued an interlocutory injunction restraining the forthcoming delegates’ conference of Nigeria’s second labour centre, Trade Union Congress.
The conference was scheduled to hold from July 19-20, 2022, but on 16th June 2022, ten affiliates of the centre had approached the NIC seeking for the court’s orders stopping the delegates conference and the conduct of elections to the office of the president and other national officers.
The ten affiliates include, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), Pulp Paper and Paper Products Printing and Publishing Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PPAPPPAPSSAN), Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNO/WTSSA), Senior Staff Association of Shipping Clearing and Forwarding Agencies (SSASCFA) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATTSSSAN).
Others are Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA), Shop and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association (SHOPDIS), (Textile Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (TGTSSAN), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), and Automobile, Boatyard, Transport, Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (AUTOBATE).
Read: Copy of the Order
Their prayers include: “An Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the defendant/respondent (TUC) by itself, servants, officials, agents or privies by whatsoever name so called from holding its 12th Triennial Delegates Conference or taking any steps further to hold the 12th Triennial Delegates Conference of the defendant/respondent pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before this Honourable Court.
“An Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the defendant/respondent by itself, servants, officials, agents or privies by whatsoever name so called from holding or taking further steps to hold and conduct election into the position of President and other National Officers of the defendant/respondent pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before the Honourable court.
“And for such further or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
Ruling on the ex-parte motion, Justice Gwandu granted all the prayers of the claimants and halted the triennial conference pending the determination of the substantive suit.
“And after reading the affidavit in support of the Motion Ex parte deposed to by Benedict Ikegbulam, Male, Nigerian, Christian and General Secretary of Pulp Paper and Paper Product Printing and Publishing Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PPAPPPAPSSAN) of No 6B, Agunbiade Street, Oke Koto, Agege, Lagos State.
“And after hearing Timothy Adewale for the claimants/Applicants, Sola Iji (Ambassador) with Femi Abimbola for the Defendant and Johnson Esezoobo with Vivian C. Duru for party sought to be joined.
“It is hereby Ordered as follows:
“1. That I hereby grant the interlocutory Order as prayed on the claimant’s motion paper dated and filed on 16/6/2022.
“2. That the matter is adjourned for hearing on the 18/7/2022.”
The suit is a follow-up to a recent decision of the TUC that throw open for contest the position of the centre’s presidency contrary to a resolution at its delegates’ conference held June 28, 2019, at NAF Centre, Abuja.
