The Nigeria Labour COngress yesterday asked Nigerians to disregard the court injunction acquired by the Federal Government asking it to suspend its proposed strike action and further protests and rallies nationwide.
According to a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Owei Lakemfa, "There are rumours circulating that the desperate Jonathan administration has purchased a black market injunction possibly from the National Industrial Court (NIC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is not aware of any such injunction, we were not served any paper of court appearance, we were not present in court nor were we represented in any capacity. Also, the NLC was not served any court summons nor were we served any court order."
"The NLC asks Nigerians to ignore this childish ploy and rumour; there is no going back on next week’s protests and shutdown. The issue of the strikes, protests and against an obnoxious policy, is not and industrial relations one; it is not between an employer and an employee. Rather it is one between the Nigerian People versus the Jonathan Government. So if the issue was taken before the National Industrial Court, then it is the wrong place to shop for a black market injunction. To obtain an injunction from a court that has no competent jurisdiction is to try playing ping pong with the judiciary," it said.
The President of the National Industrial Court (NIC) Justice Babatunde Adejumo had yesterday in Abuja restrained both the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on the proposed strike action, mass rallies and street protests nationwide. Ruling on a motion ex-parte filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal government (FG), the NIC also restrained both the NLC and the TUC from inciting the general public to embark on the mass rallies.
The court further granted the AGF leave to serve the NLC and the TUC by way of substituted service in which the court processes in the matter would be published in some National Dailies.Other members of the three-man panel that sat on the matter were Justice B.B. Kanyip and Justice M.M. Esowe.
Labour, in the statement, said that the constitutional and fundamental right of Nigerians to protest cannot be annulled.
According to a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Owei Lakemfa, "There are rumours circulating that the desperate Jonathan administration has purchased a black market injunction possibly from the National Industrial Court (NIC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is not aware of any such injunction, we were not served any paper of court appearance, we were not present in court nor were we represented in any capacity. Also, the NLC was not served any court summons nor were we served any court order."
"The NLC asks Nigerians to ignore this childish ploy and rumour; there is no going back on next week’s protests and shutdown. The issue of the strikes, protests and against an obnoxious policy, is not and industrial relations one; it is not between an employer and an employee. Rather it is one between the Nigerian People versus the Jonathan Government. So if the issue was taken before the National Industrial Court, then it is the wrong place to shop for a black market injunction. To obtain an injunction from a court that has no competent jurisdiction is to try playing ping pong with the judiciary," it said.
The President of the National Industrial Court (NIC) Justice Babatunde Adejumo had yesterday in Abuja restrained both the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on the proposed strike action, mass rallies and street protests nationwide. Ruling on a motion ex-parte filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal government (FG), the NIC also restrained both the NLC and the TUC from inciting the general public to embark on the mass rallies.
The court further granted the AGF leave to serve the NLC and the TUC by way of substituted service in which the court processes in the matter would be published in some National Dailies.Other members of the three-man panel that sat on the matter were Justice B.B. Kanyip and Justice M.M. Esowe.
Labour, in the statement, said that the constitutional and fundamental right of Nigerians to protest cannot be annulled.
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