Court Adjourns Sacked NLC Scribe’s Suit To 29 Feb.

The National Industrial Court, NIC, on Wednesday adjourned further proceedings in the suit filed by sacked former General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. John Odah, to 29 February.

Odah is challenging the termination of his appointment and forceful removal from office by the Abdulwaheed Omar-led National Executive of the NLC.

The respondents in the suit are the NLC; its President, Abdulwaheed Omar; Acting General Secretary, Owei Lakemfa, and Head of the Department of Administration, Emma Ugboaja.

At the resumed hearing, Mr. Odah’s lawyers, led by Mr. Pius Akubo, a senior advocate of Nigeria, commended the court for directing the parties to meet and resolve the dispute amicably failing which the matter would be subjected to full trial.

He noted that his client does not deserve the treatment meted out to him by the leadership of the workers’ body having served the organisation faithfully for over 30 years.

Mr. Akibo further argued that the former General Secretary maintained a high level of integrity as the union’s scribe before his alleged sack, pointing out that he has a good case as far as the issue is concerned.

Mr. Odah is asking the court to declare that the purported termination of his appointment on the pretext of on-going reorganisation in the congress is a ruse and illegal, as well as a pungent antithesis of what the NLC stands for.

Odah is also praying for a declaration that the purported termination of his appointment is brazenly crude, manifestly flawed for want of due process and a violent negation of the aims and objectives of NLC as enshrined in its constitution.

He further asked the court to grant him aggravated N500 million damages.

Attempts by NLC’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, a senior advocate of Nigeria, said that his client was only served this morning but that they were ready to go on with the matter.

The court, however, declined to allow the proceedings to commence and directed that the option of settlement should be explored by parties first with a view to engendering harmonious relationship between the workers’ family.

The court presided over by the President, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, relied on Section 20 of National Industrial Court Act 2006 which empowers the court to order parties to resolve their dispute amicably and report same to the court.

Consequently, he invoked that power and directed the parties to go and resolve the matter amicably and adjourned till 29 February and 1 March, 2012 for report of settlement or for hearing.

—Nnamdi Felix / Abuja