Nation
Supreme Court Didn’t Grant ASUSS Registration -NUT
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has denied that the Supreme Court in its judgement of January 15, 2021, granted secondary school teachers operating under the umbrella of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), power to operate as a trade union.
The apex court’s judgement which was the result of a legal suit between NUC and ASUSS, according to the former, had made clear pronouncement that ASUSS was not registrable as a trade union.
It would be recalled that a group of some secondary school teachers, led by one Mr. Samuel Omaji, had claimed to have obtained the court’s judgment to unionize secondary school teachers in the country.
Addressing the media at its national headquarters, Abuja, yesterday, NUT insisted that contrary to the claim of ASUSS that it was granted registration, Supreme Court never granted such order.
Reading the text of the briefing, titled: ”NUT vs ASUSS: Putting the Record Straight”, President of NUT, Dr. Nasir Idris, through his representative and Deputy National President of NUT, Kelvin Nwankwo, said the claim of ASUSS was not only strange but also unfounded.
“The national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) unequivocally lay bare and throw light on the deliberate mischief, misinterpretation and falsehood being circulated on various print and electronic media and blog platforms: that the Supreme Court on the 15th January, 2021 delivered judgment granting secondary school teachers a new trade union known as Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS); which is rather strange and unfounded.
“May we promptly state that ASUSS is not registrable as a trade union,” NUT said.
NUT explained that, “To the best of our knowledge, the subject matter on appeal is ASUSS vs NUT, which was before the Supreme Court bothering on the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to grant the restraining order sought by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) against the Minister of Labour and Productivity to unilaterally register a trade union contrary to the provisions of Ss. 3(2), 5 (4) of the Trade Union Act CAP. T14 LFN 2004.”
The text read further, “The contest of the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the Suit of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) vs Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) was upheld by the Federal High Court Abuja, which was appealed by the ASUSS to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, respectively.
“The learned Lords of the Supreme Court per His Lordship Chima Centus Nweze, JSC in his lead Judgment held: ‘Under the doctrine of stare decisis, we are bound by these decisions. It follows therefore, that in the instant case, where His Lordship E. Ekanem, JCA, who did not participate in the hearing of the appeal, rendered a judgment thereon, the lower court, in so far as the panel that delivered the judgment was different from the panel that heard the appeal, was incompetent.
“The appeal is therefore allowed. The judgment delivered on 9/6/2014 is a nullity and must be and is hereby set aside. Appeal No. CA/A/256/09 shall be remitted to the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, to be heard by a different panel of that court.”
According to NUT, “The group of secondary school teachers led by Mr. Samuel Omaji making a hollow, deceptive and false claim to have obtained judgment to unionize secondary school teachers is reckless, complete falsehood and extraneous to the decisions of the Supreme Court, as well as and other relevant Labour Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The NUT said the Federal Ministry of Labour had confirmed to it through correspondences that ASUSS was not registrable hence its position.
“A trade union or association which has not been finally registered and certificated by the Registrar of Trade Union even though it might have concluded most of the process required to obtain registration hold no claim of being a union,” NUT insisted.
“With this provision of the Trade Union Act, we call on all teachers of secondary schools in Nigeria to disregard the baseless claim by ASUSS as no such matter of membership of Secondary School Teachers was before the Supreme Court and the Status of NUT in unionizing teachers of primary and secondary schools remains sacrosanct and backed by the Jurisdictional Scope of trade unions as contained in the Trade Union Act CAP T.14 LFN 2004 cited above,” it advised.
Noting that it would clock 90 years of trade union practice by July, 2021, the NUT said, “The leaders in the spirit of leadership have been mutually rotating her apex leadership’s position between the secondary and primary schools teachers.
“This notwithstanding, record has it that out of 15 presidents of our great union, only two had been selected from the primary school arm, while the others were drawn from secondary schools arm.
“The NUT is enjoying a robust spirit of comradeship where we peruse the welfare of our members and better conditions of service, but not which arm of the teaching industry do you belong.
“The NUT has no founder and no joiner, we have one teaching profession to build and protect little wonder in 1993 and teachers in Nigeria embarked on a nationwide protracted strike to press home the establishment of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), to regulate our noble teaching profession for all the Nigerian teachers,” it said.
The text further read, “The great NUT for over a decade had achieved the 27.5% Teachers Peculiar Allowances for teachers in Nigeria, which the teachers of Nigeria have been enjoying, including the so-called members of ASUSS, who have continued to reap where they did not sow.
“So far, the NUT is contemplating putting to a stop the parasitic roles of the so called ASUSS, who continue to enjoy the negotiated benefits of the NUT even when they endlessly sabotage our efforts in achieving them, what a paradox?
“The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) will by no means be distracted from her several pursuits of the actualization of all the welfare needs of our members in the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria namely: 65 years retirement or 40 years of service age for teachers, Teachers Professional Salary Structure, Rural Posting Allowances, Subject Special Allowances, National Housing Scheme for teachers, etc in addition to the Annual Presidential Teachers Award that has formed part of annual World Teachers Day program,” it said.
“We urge all well-meaning teachers of secondary schools in Nigeria to remain law abiding and cooperate with the NUT for the prosperity of the teaching profession, education in Nigeria and the current provision of the Trade Union Act and Labour Laws.
“Therefore, we urge all well-meaning diligent and hardworking secondary school teachers, not to fall prey to the media stunts and ill-fated propaganda employed by the drowning leaders of the self-acclaimed ASUSS aimed at deceiving unsuspecting secondary school teachers, into believing that ASUSS is competent to unionize Secondary School teachers when they are not.
“We shall not fail in our obligations of keeping our dear and well-meaning teachers abreast of further development, as we proceed with the litigation.
“The matter is far from being over, as it remains subjudice. No matter how fast and far that the falsehood of ASUSS might have gone, the truth must catch up with it. The facts and the laws of our land are on the side of our great union the NUT”.
Nation
Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides
Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.
Nation
Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50 Schools
A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.
John Bibor
Nation
NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat
The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.
He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.
-
News3 days ago
Shake-ups At Federal Varsities As Tinubu Sacks UniAbuja, UNN VCs, Appoints New Leaders
-
Business3 days ago
Lokpobiri Condemns Abandoned Refinery Project in N’Delta … Vows Revival
-
Politics2 hours ago
Probe My Father With Clean Intent, El-Rufai’s Son Tells Kaduna Govt
-
Business3 days ago
Dangote Refinery Exports Jet Fuel To Saudi Aramco
-
Sports3 hours ago
Edo Inaugurates Committee For Edo Sport Festival
-
Oil & Energy58 mins ago
NCDMB Targets 70% Local Content Policy Implementation By 2027
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
NDDC Begins N50,000 Monthly Payment To 10,000 N’Delta Youths
-
Sports3 hours ago
Chelsea Fall Short Against Brighton