Court To Rule On Sack Of Non-Indigenes, October

The National Industrial Court sitting in Enugu State, has
reserved ruling till October 10, on the court’s jurisdiction on a suit filed by
a group challenging the sack of non-indigenes by Abia Government.

A coalition of Civil Societies on Education for All had in
2011 instituted a suit against Abia Government and six others challenging the
disengagement of non-indigenes from its workforce.

In his written address in Enugu, the counsel to the
applicants, Mr Steve Attah argued that the court had jurisdiction relating to
any dispute on employment, labour, trade unionism, payment and nonpayment of
salaries, pensions and other entitlements.

Attah said that the affected workers were laid off based on
discrimination, adding that it was a violation of their fundamental human
rights.

“The 1999 constitution as amended confers on every citizen
the right to work in any location of his or her choice within the federation
without any form of discrimination, “ he said.

The counsel also submitted that the applicant had the locus
standi to institute the case, adding that the constitution provided that any
corporate body or individual had the right to institute action against human
right violation.

In his submission, the counsel to the state government, Mr
Emeka Ejimofor said that the court could not entertain the matter because the
affected workers were not sacked but transferred to their various states.

“What happened is purely an executive decision, which is
exclusive and nobody should interfere because it is exclusive to the
government. “Nobody is sacked but transferred to their states. All we are
saying is that they should go home and serve their states, “ he said.

Ejimofor, however, urged the court to strike out the case.
Counsel to the Local Government Commission, Mr Samuel Ogbu supported the
submission of Ejimofor, saying the court had no jurisdiction over the matter
because it was a human rights case.

The presiding Judge, Justice Ibrahim Awa, however, reserved
ruling till Oct 10 on the issue of jurisdiction.

The representative of the coalition, Mr Godson Ibekwuomelue
said that the organisation said it went to court because the rights of
Nigerians were violated and should be restored.

Some of the workers, who preferred anonymity said that they
could not return to their states because they had put in between 15 and 30
years of service in the state.