The National Industrial Court has dismissed the suit filed by Abubakar Sadiq, leader of a faction of the Road Transport Employees’ Association of Nigerian (RTEAN) against the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, which accords official recognition to Alhaji Sabo Mohammed Tanko’s administration.
A faction of RTEAN had last year dragged the ministry before the National Industrial Court after the Federal Government handed fuel subsidy palliatives to RTEAN through an Olufemi Ajewole administration that was later alleged to have been expelled.
The aggrieved claimants under the leadership of Abubakar Sadiq had asked the court for a declaration that in view of the inter-union disputes, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity was wrong in granting recognition to Tanko who succeeded Ajewole.
The claimants also wanted all the vehicles received by the association under the fuel subsidy palliative programme from the Federal Government to be shared among the factions.
Ruling on the preliminary objection filed by the defendants, JusticeM. N. Sowe noted that the core issue before the court borders on inter-union disputes, which the National Industrial Court had opportunity to pronounce upon earlier in 2009. She noted that the appeal on the court decision was still pending before the Court of Appeal Kaduna, Division.
“Although in the instant case the names of claimants are different from those that filed the earlier suits, the objective of the suits remain the same,” she said. “It is clear that the changes in the names of the claimants are due to internal disputes.”
The judge said that the subject matter of the instant suit is same as the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal, Kaduna. Justice Sowe also held that the claimants have not exhausted condition precedent before coming to the court.
She therefore said that the internal wrangling in RTEAN has created additional problem for the transportation sector, particularly in the road subsector where the Federal Government wanted them to drive, and consequently advised them to amicably resolve their differences
