THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Tuesday commenced its 12th Triennial Delegates Conference despite a restraining order by the Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC), issued on July 6th 2022.
As the conference was being declared open by Comrade Peter Akpatason, a former President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Deputy Majority leader of the House of Representatives, at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, the NIC, presided over by the Honourable Justice R. H. Gwandu was hearing the case instituted by the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSIBIFI) and nine others against the TUC.
The parties in the matter were all represented by their lawyers, namely Timothy Adewale for the claimants, Ambassador Sola Iji for TUC and Johnson Ezeboro for PENGASSAN.
Presiding Judge, Justice Gwandu ordered that all motions, counter claims and responses would be heard and next adjourned date following the joining of two affiliate unions in support of the defendants. The new entrants include PENGASSAN and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).
Justice Gwandu said the plaintiffs are entitled to at least 7 days to respond to the fresh motions which were served on them on very short notice.
Justice Gwandu however directed parties to file their respective arguments and counter-arguments before the next adjourned hearing which is scheduled to hold on 4th August, 2022.
Justice Gwandu insisted that the restraining order stopping the TUC from holding its 12th triennial delegates conference was still in force.
Why Conference held despite restraining order
TUC went ahead with the conference despite the absence of officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, especially the Registrar of Trade Unions, who is statutorily required to observe delegates conferences of trade unions.
The ministry, our correspondent gathered, was served the restraining order and therefore did not put up appearance for fear of contempt of court.
When contacted for his reaction, the Registrar of Trade Unions, Mr Amos Falonipe, said he ‘was on the road’ and will get back, but he did not until press time.
Calls to the TUC’s head of information, Comrade Kenneth Mokwenye, rang out and a WhatsApp message sent to him was read but not responded to.
A highly placed source in the TUC, who pleaded anonymity, told National Record that the decision to go ahead with conference was based on a strategy to ignore the order so as to install the next president that would have been in control of the affairs of TUC even if the court were to later to nullify the conference.
The source also told National Record that all positions, with the exception of President and Treasurer, are unopposed. According to the source, in the election to be held on Wednesday, the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, is billed to emerge as the next president of TUC.
The source also revealed that the police, rather than stop the conference in response to the petition written by ASSBIFI and nine other affiliates of TUC, were swayed by a highly placed government official at the Ministry of Labour and Employment to instead secure the venue to avoid the breakdown of law and order.
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