By Bimbola Oyesola, [email protected]
Parties in the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have expressed confidence that the National Industrial Court (NIC) will deliver unbiased judgement at the end of the case.
Both the ten affiliates who are the claimants and TUC, the umbrella body who is the defendant and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) who at the last hearing sought to be joined as defendant said they were satisfied with the proceedings so far.
The court at the last hearing on Thursday has adjourned till August 24 for ruling on applications filed seeking to be joined in the case by some of other affiliate unions.
The presiding Judge, Justice Rabi Gwandu, gave the ruling on Thursday in Lagos.
Recall that Daily Sun had earlier reported that ten of the TUC affiliates have filed a legal action against the TUC earlier in June over the position of the union’s president and other major positions in the Congress.
One of the unions, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and other Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and nine other affiliate unions from the TUC are seeking redress over the leadership crisis.
The ten affiliates had sought injunction that the Congress should not go ahead with the Delegates Conference scheduled for July 19, but which the Congress had held with a claim of counter injunction from NIC, Abuja.
At the hearing on Thursday, Mr Johnson Esezoobo, Counsel to PENGASSAN, filed an application seeking to be joined as a defendant in the suit.
Also, Mr Babatunde Adewusi, Counsel and claimed to be representing Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), filed an application seeking to join the suit as claimant.
Speaking after the hearing, Counsel to all claimants, including ASSBIFI and nine other affiliate unions, Mr Timothy Adewale, said: ‘’We oppose the application for PENGASSAN; we have no objection to ASCSN to join as a claimant.
‘’This is because the union can see the integrity of the just cause of the claimants. ‘’
Adewale said he had brought the attention of the court to, what he described as, the flagrant disobedience of the defendant (TUC) to an order given by the NIC, Lagos division on July 8.
The Judge, Gwandu had stopped TUC from holding its 12th triennial delegates’ conference pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before the court.
Gwandu also granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant (TUC), its officials or agents from conducting election into the position of president and other national offices of the congress pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.
Adewale said: ’’In the discharge of our duty to the honourable court, we brought the attention of the court, the acts of the defendants in disobeying the order of the court.
‘’The court gave the order that there should not be no conference or any election; they disobeyed it: they went ahead; they had their election- a flagrant disobedience to the court order.’’
Meanwhile, Counsel to the defendant, TUC, Mr Sola Iji, declined speaking saying ‘’ I do not have the brief of my clients to talk to the press.’’
In their views, two affiliate unions of TUC said the reason for the suit filed in court was to seek justice.
The chairman of the claimants group, Emmanuel Jaja said the group came to court for justice, “we have to follow the laws, don’t have to go contrary to the judge. The reason why we are here is to get justice, we are still in TUC and we publicly denounce anybody parading himself as a TUC President.
“We have a case in court, we expect the case to have been disposed before the election, so for us there’s no election. We are still in court. There’s no TUC election.
Francis Akinjole, Deputy General Secretary, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, one of the claimants said there was no need for the parties to be in court over leadership tussle.
Akinjole said: ‘’What the other party has demonstrated today is suggestive of the need not to even come to court.
‘’The defendants are showing the world that we do not need to be in court- and that there’s no need for the case to be settled.’’
However, the Lagos Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN, Mr Eyam Abeng, who doubles as Special Adviser on Special Duties and Media to the President, Festus Osifo, speaking on behalf of the union said PENGASSAN has full confidence in the judiciary.
‘’At the end of the day, the desire and the mandate that was given to my principal by the 12th Delegate Conference of TUC will be sustained and will be upheld.
‘’What is before us are facts and because the leadership of TUC in line with our constitution is always decided on the floor of the TUC National Delegate Conference,” Abeng said.