Court declares gov Obaseki’s suspension of trade unions illegal

The Benin Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has declared the suspension of trade unions’ activities in Edo State-owned tertiary institutions unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

Justice A. A. Adewemimo gave the judgment in suit No: NICN/BEN/40/2022 filed by the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University chapter, Dr Cyril Onogbosele, and the assistant secretary, Dr William Odion, on behalf of the union.

The defendants were the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki; the attorney general of the state and the Edo State government.

Obaseki had on June 8 directed that all trade union activities be suspended in the state’s tertiary institutions.

Following the directive, the union approached the court through its lawyer, Kingsley Obamogie, seeking a declaration, among other reliefs, that the order or directive of the defendants is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

Delivering judgement, Justice Adewemimo held that the state government was wrong to have suspended trade union activities in AAU and other tertiary institutions in the state.

While reacting to the ruling yesterday, Onogbosele hailed the judgment as “a victory for constitutionalism, rule of law and due process.”