NAPO Urges Minister to Release Certificate, Says No Court Order Against Union

The National Association of Plants Operators (NAPO), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has urged the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment to direct the issuance of the union’s certificate as approved, as a matter of urgency.

The union clarified that it was not a party in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/343/2025 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, pending before president of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria,Honourable Justice B.B. Kanyib, stressing that there was no court order issued in that regard.

Speaking with journalists, the National President of the Union, Comrade Harold I Benstowe, stated that the minister approved the registration of the union as a trade union via a letter date August 28th , 2025, and gazetted on 26th day of November 2025 and expressed concern that after the completion of the gazetting period and the approval, the ministry had failed to issue them with a certificate of registration.

Benstowe explained that the ministry’s inability to comply with the minister’s approval was allegedly due to compromise by some ministry staff.

He questioned the rational of the ministry inability to comply with the Minister’s approval as allegedly due to compromise by some ministry staff after the Trade Union stance on the investigation on the Alleged Taxes Deductions & Non remittance Fraud Case Against Daewoo E&C Nig a partner with SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria limited at the ongoing Nigeria LNG Train 7 Gas Plant Construction Project situated at Bonny LGA Rivers State Nigeria.

According to him, on the 30th October, 2025 when the Union appeared on invitation for a conciliation meeting between the Association NAPO versus Nigeria LNG, Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria & SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria limited that ended in deadlock, because NAPO team rejected some of the items of the Memorandum of Understanding that is targeted to free Daewoo E&C Nig of any liability of the Alleged Tax fraud case, they jointly with the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction furniture & Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) protested against the approval
of NAPO as a Trade Union & further demand for the certificate not to be issued to NAPO.

He explained that it was on that meeting that from the side line this plot never to release the certificate was hatched in colluding with the Registrar of Trade Union that was relying on non existing Court Order & caused the union millions of Naira for that date occasion.

The NAPO boss emphasised that there was no court order barring the ministry from issuing the certificate, according to the court process received from the registrar of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, by the union.

He therefore called on the minister to direct the Registrar of Trade Unions (RTU), Mr. Rabiu Shuaibu, and those concerned to immediately release the certificate of registration to the union, adding that failure to do so within seven days would leave the union no choice but to take legal action against the registrar and the ministry.

He further urged the Honourable Minister of Labour & Employment to save the Administration of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the embarrassment of succumbing to the dictates of Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria already facing an Alleged Taxes Fraud Case by the EFCC.

Benstowe used the opportunity to call on members of the union to remain peaceful and trust the leadership of the union in its efforts to take the union to greater heights, adding that every machinery was being put in place to resolve the impasse surrounding the issuance of the certificate of registration.