Court Stops Rivers Organised Labour Strike, Today …Labour Is Unpatriotic, Wike Insists

The National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Honourable Justice Z. M. Bashir has granted an Order of Interim Injunction, calling off the proposed labour strike in Rivers State scheduled to commence, today.
The injunction ordered the leadership of the organised labour in the state under the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Beatrice Itubo; Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Austin Jonah; Secretary, NLC, Mathew Olaba; Prince Ndukwe, and Opuwari A. Agbada (Joint Rivers Negotiating Council), or their proxy from embarking on the strike.
Parts of the Injunction read: “The National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt (presided over by Honourable Justice Z. M. Bashir, J.) has granted an Order of Interim Injunction in Suit No. NICN/PHC/41/2020 (Attorney-General, Rivers State Vs. Comrade Beatrice Itubo, Comrade Austin Jonah, Comrade Mathew Olaba, Comrade Prince Ndukwe & Opuwari A. Ogbada) restraining the defendants either by themselves or through their servants, agents, privies, officers or otherwise howsoever called from embarking on a strike on Monday, 23rd March, 2020, or any other day thereafter, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive Motion on Notice filed in this suit.
“The Trial Court also granted an Order of Interim Injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with the provision of services and other works by their members in the Civil Service of Rivers State pending the hearing and determination of the substantive Motion on Notice filed in this suit.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has said the strike being contemplated by labour in Rivers State at this time was unpatriotic, due to the Coronavirus codenamed COVID-19 that is currently impacting negatively on the Nigerian economy and the world as a whole.
Wike stated this during the public presentation of “A Handbook on Discipline of Civil Servants in Nigeria’ written by the state Head of Service (HOS), Barrister Rufus Godwins in Port Harcourt, yesterday; just as he describe the book as apt.
The book was reviewed by the state Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniyu Ebeku.
The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. Tamunosis Gogo-Jaja further said many states were expressing fears as to whether they can continue to pay salaries, but that the Rivers State Government was not only up to date with salaries, she is also paying the minimum wage.
According to him, “The public presentation of this book is apt. It is coming in a period when the economy of not only Nigeria is being ravaged by the Coronavirus. Now, a lot of states are already expressing the fear of being able to pay salaries.
“We (RSG) believe that this is not a proper period for any patriotic citizen whether of Nigeria or Rivers State to contemplate on strike. The economy is going down. And come to think of it, Rivers State is not owing any civil servant. Rivers State Government has paid the minimum wage. In fact Rivers State Government has paid more than the recommendations of the Federal Government.
“Now, we want to urge that every one of us need to come together to protect the state and protect the economy of Nigeria. I believe that as Head of Service (HOS) you must take steps to address indiscipline in the civil service. Notwithstanding we have a very wonderful civil servants in Rivers State.
“Let me say to us that we have a governor that is interested in the welfare of civil servants, and therefore, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be used by politicians to destroy the service.
“If you have your political view, don’t impose it on the ordinary civil servants. And we won’t advise that you also allow yourselves to be used to champion a different political view,” he stated, noting that anyone used to cause confusion in the state was neither doing himself nor the state any good.
While describing the author as a chattered lawyer, he advised him to borrow from the experiences shared by senior citizens who have retired from the civil service to improve the service and urged prominent citizens to endeavour to put down their experiences in book form.
“You have made an impact and that impact is what you have given to Rivers people and Nigeria at large and urged all to get copies of the book. Lastly, whether you are in the private or public sector, let us all come together and support the Government of Rivers State,” Wike added.
In his reading of the book, the author and Rivers State Head of Service, Barrister Rufus Godwins said working with Wike and the experiences he has garnered inspired him to write the book
“The impetus for this work derived from the inspiration His Excellency gave me. His Excellency’s vision is captured in virtually every sector of governance and administration. And for the civil service his vision is to enthrone a civil service that can utilize best global practices to deliver efficient and effective service.
“With this I set out to look at the service. In the first one year I was dissolution thinking I was in the wrong place because I came from a background of discipline and professional ethics. I couldn’t understand a service where by 9am people are not on their seats till 10am. So, I started by going from office to office to seize registers of those who come late.