The Lagos State Government says it has applied for the Certified True Copy of the court judgment nullifying the appointment of the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, with the intention to file an appeal.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) sitting in Lagos had on Tuesday voided the appointment of the committee.
Justice Maureen Esowe held that the suspension of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in the state was illegal, and ordered the reinstatement of RTEAN.
The state government had suspended the operations of RTEAN in September 2022 and constituted a 35-man caretaker committee to take over the operations of the union.
But in its ruling, the industrial court also restrained the state government from further meddling in the activities of the union’s exco.
RTEAN in suit marked NICN/LA/381/2022, had challenged the dissolution of its executive council by the Lagos State government.
The first three of the 27 defendants in the suit were Lagos State Governor, the state’s Attorney-General; and the governor’s Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa.
However, the state government said that contrary to reports in some media outlets, what it set up is known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the operations of commercial road transport workers activities within garages and motor parks and not a caretaker committee to run the affairs of RTEAN in the state.
According to the state government, the Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo-led Lagos State Park Management Committee was not a party to RTEAN’s suit.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports on various media about a judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Maureen Esowe in respect of Suit No NICN/LA/381/2022 between the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and The Executive Governor of Lagos State and 36 Ors.
“The reliefs sought from the Court by the Claimant include a declaration that the purported dissolution of the Elected Executive Committee of the Claimant operating in Lagos State and the appointment of a Caretaker Committee to run its affairs in Lagos State by the Lagos State Government is unconstitutional, null and void.
“It is on record that what the Lagos State Government set up is known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the Operations of Commercial Road Transport Workers Activities within Garages and Motor Parks and not a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos State.
“Several of the reports have mistakenly attributed to the Judgement that the Lagos State Park Management Committee (Committee) has been dissolved. The validity of the Lagos State Park Management Committee was not an issue before the Court and the Committee was not a party to the suit.
“The dissolution of the Committee is unrelated to the issues before the Court.
“The Lagos State Government has applied for the Certified True Copy of the Judgement and intends to file an appeal in respect of same. All affected parties are enjoined to remain calm and be law-abiding,” a statement by the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Grace Alo said.
(Courtesy, excluding headline, The Whitslers)
