Sequel to the judgment of an Industrial Court sitting in Owerri,the capital city of Imo State on Thursday 11th June, 2019 nullifying the tenure elongation of the leadership of the State chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, the national leadership of the Union led by Comrade Alhaji Ibrahim Khaleel has directed that the starts quo should remain.
According to the statement signed by NULGE Acting General Secretary, Comrade C.Aguonye which was made available to the newsmen, the national leadership of the Union stated that the judgment delivered in favour of the claimants, Uzoma Ekeanyanwu and others as against the Imo NULGE President, Comrade Richard Eze and others has caused a lot of tension and uneasy calm amongst majority of their members across all States because of the implications particularly on elected members of the Union.
The statement therefore recalled that some members have contested similar cases in the past ,but lost citing a case study in Edo State between Kennedy Oboirah and others Vs Young Ilenikhena and others in the suit No.NICN/AK/14/2017 delivered at Akure division of the Court on 16th November, 2017 for which in a clear judgment,the claimants lost the case as it was delivered in favour of the respondents. The national leadership of NULGE further informed that their legal team has taken immediate step to get stay of execution in the case as nature abhors vacuum, while advising their teeming members to remain calm and not to panic as Comrade Eze led leadership will not loose the case.
Meanwhile, the national president of NULGE,Comrade Alhaji Ibrahim Khaleel will storm Imo State tomorrow for peace meeting.
Speaking to journalists, the embattled president of NULGE Imo State chapter,Comrade Richard Eze has informed that there is no vacancy in the leadership structure of Imo NULGE as the Union has promptly filed a motion on notice for an order of stay of execution of the judgment as well as appeal against the judgment. Hear him,”there is no leadership vacancy in NULGE,Imo state chapter as the Union has filed a motion on notice for an order of stay of execution of the Industrial Court judgment of suit No.NINC/OW/36/2018 as well as appealed against the judgment on an Appeal Court of Nigeria in Owerri judicial division with appeal No.CA/OW/281/2019.So,there is calmness and normalcy in the leadership of the Union even the trial judge allegedly erred in law by nullifying the tenure elongation granted to all elected officials of the Union based on the doctrine of necessity and rectified through the Union’s constitution amendment during her Special Delegates Conference held in Akure,Ondo state on the 13th of June, 2016″.
