By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
A mammoth crowd of striking employees of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) today besieged the National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja, venue of resumed sitting into the case filed by FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and FCTA, against the workers, represented by two leaders of their umbrella Joint Unions Action Congress (JUAC).
The two are Mrs Rifkatu Iortyer (president, first Respondent) and Abdullahi Umar Saleh (secretary, second Respondent). Wike and FCTA were listed as first and second Claimants in the matter.
Bearing placards emblazoned with various inscriptions calling for better conditions of service, the workers, who have been on indefinite strike since Monday last week, exhibited orderliness and discipline throughout the court proceedings.
There was a noticeable heavy presence of armed security operatives comprising detachments of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who virtually took over the road leading to the court premises located in Area 3, Garki, as well as within the court compound itself.
Inside the court room, legal fireworks erupted.
Counsel to the respondents, Maxwell Okpara, urged the court to join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which had publicly declared support for the strike, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as parties to the suit, arguing that this would make any order of the court binding on them.
But, counsel to the Minister/FCTA, James Onoja SAN, opposed the application, saying the suit was instituted against two individuals who, he claimed, are not registered under the Trade Unions Act.
He therefore prayed the court to order the striking workers to resume duties, pointing out that the strike has paralyzed essential services in the nation’s capital.
After listening to arguments by both counsels, Justice Emmanuel Subilim held that since the claimants brought the case against two specific respondents, the court could not join additional parties not listed by the claimants.
He adjourned the matter to tomorrow for ruling on an application by Onoja to restrain the workers from continuing with the industrial action.
Fielding questions from newsmen later, Barrister Opara accused Wike of using soldiers and police personnel to break the picketing padlocks put in place by the workers to halt staff members from reporting for work.
According to him, the Minister went to work in the office even as the lawyer queried the raison d’etre for the matter in court with Wike allegedly having undermined his own case.
Barrister Opara also warned persons purchasing lands in the Abuja green areas allegedly being illegally sold by the Minister’s agents, to understand that a future government will easily revoke such ownership and demolish whatever properties they plan to erect thereon.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Some FCTA staff members protesting… today.
