…as teachers defy government’s resumption order
The National Industrial Court sitting at the Benin Judicial Division has restrained the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) from proceeding on any strike action in Edo State Primary schools.
Hon. Justice A. A. Adewemimo, gave the order on Monday, February 1, after listening to submissions put forward by the Edo State Solicitor-General, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN.
This came as teachers defied the state government’s order for them to resume work Monday as schools resumed. The State chapter of the National Union of Teachers ordered the teachers to begin in an indefinite strike from January 18 2021, in protest over the government’s failure to meet their 10-point demand.
The Edo State Government and the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are the applicants in the case with Suit No. NICN/BEN/04/2021.
The defendants in the suit are Chairman, NUT, Edo State, Pius O. Okhuleliegbe; Assistant Secretary-General, NUT, Edo State, Moni Mike Modesty Itua, for themselves and on behalf of the members of the Edo State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)
Delivering her ruling, the Honourable Justice restrained the Chairman and Assistant Secretary-General respectively of NUT, Edo State, either acting through themselves or their agents or privies from embarking on any strike action pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, which was fixed for Tuesday, February 9th, 2021.
As schools resumed in Edo State Monday, most teachers stayed away from school, in compliance with a directive of the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, which ordered them to disregard the government directive.
