Elections: Court Restrains Tanker Drivers

The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has made an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the non-indigenous Petroleum Tankers Drivers Union,  Onne depot, Rivers State, from  organising or conducting  election in the executive offices of the body.

The presiding judge, Justice M.N. Esowe who made  the order in Abuja recently also restrained their privies, agents, servant or any other person(s)  acting at their behest from doing the same.

The order, which was made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, Tuesday  explained that the claimant/applicant: John B. Gberesuu, Chief Lawrence Enweh, William I: Asuru, Ogbonna Worchuu, Comrade Tobin J. Ukuta and Festus B. Legbara, who are indigenes of Rivers  and Bayelsa States had filed a suit against a splinter group consisting of mainly non-indigenes of the two states.

The claimants in suit No: NIC/ABJ/188/2012 Contended that they were the benafide indigenes of Rivers and Bayelsa States who have the right to occupy positions in the PTDU unlike  the defendent/respondents.

Consequently, the claimants had made an  application for an order of interlocution injunction restraining the  defendants/respondents: John Amajuoyi, George Udofia, Chief Anthony Okafor, Emeka M. Nzeh Chima Chijioke and Dominic Nmerengwa from organising and conducting any election  in  the executive  offices of the body.

However, the defendants/respondent in their  counter affidavit  claimed that the 1st  defendant was the  current  chairman and that  membership positions cut across the ethnic divides as people from different tribes were part of the executive.

According to the document contained the order, Exhibit 11-15 showed that the defendants have acted as chairman, Port Harcourt unit, treasurer, auditor PRO, Chief VIO Port Harcourt unit from 18th February, 2009 to 17th February 2013.

It further  explained that the court was not informed as to who the leadership rested on since February 2013.

Justice Esowe, however, ordered accelerated hearing so that each party would know its stand and can vie for the elections if qualified.