Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The National Industrial Court has stopped members of the Parliamentary ‎Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) from continuing with their strike or further engaging in acts capable of shutting down the National Assembly.

Justice Sanusi Kado issued the restraining order after listening to an exparte motion brought by the leadership of the country’s legislature.

The action was brought by ‎the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, against PASAN members before the court.

They sought an order restraining the workers from closing down the federal parliament.

The parliamentary ‎workers had just concluded a four-day warning strike over unpaid allowances, preparatory to a major industrial action which would lead to the closure of the National Assembly.

In the motion exparte filed on December 18, 2018, and marked, NICN/ABJ/360/2018, Saraki and Dogara are seeking the order of the court to restrain PASAN members from proceeding on a strike, pending the determination of the motion on notice before it.

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The affidavit in support of the motion on notice was deposed to by a legal practitioner in the office of the Senate President, Mr. Sambo Ndahi.

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The motion on notice sought: “An order of interim injunction restraining all the defendants/respondents, particularly their agents, proxies, servants, however called from taking steps to proceed or proceeding on strike, pending the determination of the motion.”

They further prayed for an interim injunction restraining PASAN, their agents, privies, servants from giving directives to their members to proceed or proceeding on strike.”

After reading the affidavit and listening to the submission of the counsel to the applicants, A.P Ameh, Justice Kado, in his “order of interim injunction,” n suit: NICN/ABJ/360/2018, directed the leadership of PASAN and their agents to refrain from proceeding on strike.

He also warned the striking workers against embarking on any action that could lead to the closure of the National Assembly complex.

The judge also cautioned the management of the National Assembly against embarking on any action that could disrupt the ongoing negotiations aimed at ‎resolving the dispute.