- Corrects Unwitting Attribution to Parks Management Committee
The Lagos State Government said on Saturday that it has applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment involving it and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
While urging all parties to remain calm and go about their respective duties peacefully, it declared that it would appeal the said judgment.
In a statement issued on the issue which went viral and has occupied major media talk circuit, the government said the validity and legality of Lagos State Parks Management Committee (LSPGMC) was never in doubt and was not one of the issues for determination by the Industrial Court.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to reports on various media about a judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Maureen Esowe in respect of Suit No NICN/LA/381/2022 between the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and The Executive Governor of Lagos State and 36 Ors.
The reliefs sought from the Court by the Claimant include a declaration that the purported dissolution of the Elected Executive Committee of the Claimant operating in Lagos State and the appointment of a Caretaker Committee to run its affairs in Lagos State by the Lagos State Government is unconstitutional, null and void.
It is on record that what the Lagos State Government set up is known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the Operations of Commercial Road Transport Workers Activities within Garages and Motor Parks and not a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos State.
Several of the reports have mistakenly attributed to the Judgment that the Lagos State Park Management Committee (Committee) has been dissolved. The validity of the Lagos State Park Management Committee was not an issue before the Court and the Committee was not a party to the suit.
The dissolution of the Committee is unrelated to the issues before the Court.
The Lagos State Government has applied for the Certified True Copy of the Judgment and intends to file an appeal in respect of same. All affected parties are enjoined to remain calm and be law-abiding.
Sunrise.ng recalls that the National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos, had in a matter brought before it by the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) had ordered the reinstatement of the latter and outlawed the Lagos State Government Parks and Garages Management Committee headed by Mr Musiliu Akinsanya otherwise known as MC Oluomo.
The judge held that the act of the Lagos State Government in outlawing RTEAN and setting up the caretaker committee to handle its activities in the state is unconstitutional.
The judge rejected the state government’s position that it outlawed RTEAN over an alleged fracas that if not nipped in the bud might lead to the disturbance of public peace, stating that rather than suspending the union, government ought to have allowed the police to properly investigate the matter and resolve it.
Justice Esowe further restrained the Lagos State Government from further interfering with the activities of the State’s RTEAN Excos.