Court Sacks MC Oluomo’s Park Committee In Lagos

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has dismissed the management committee for the Lagos State Parks and Garages, which was headed by Musiliu Akinsanya, well known as MC Oluomo.

In a decision handed down on Tuesday by Justice Maureen Esowe, the court ruled that it is improper for the Lagos State government to have established a parks and management committee. In its decision, the court further prohibited the state government from meddling with the union exco’s operations.

Additionally, it mandated that the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) operations in Lagos State be resumed.

Justice Esowe contends that instead of looking into the issue, the state government and the Police should have acted by detaining and punishing anyone responsible for any altercation allegedly involving union members.

The Judge further mandated that the police desist from intimidating the RTEAN officers, take down any barriers they had erected around their secretariat, and allow them unrestricted access to their premises.

The court overturned a defendant’s preliminary objection to the lawsuit after finding that there was no substantial controversy that called for the exchange of pleadings and that the case was uncomplicated.

According to Naija News, RTEAN filed the lawsuit, NICN/LA/381/2022, in October 2022 to sue the state of Lagos for allegedly appointing a caretaker body, the Parks and Garages Administrators, led by MC Oluomo, in place of the elected executive committee of the union in the state.

The Lagos State Governor, Moyosore Onigbanjo, the state’s attorney general, and Sola Giwa, the governor’s special adviser on transportation, are the defendants in the lawsuit.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police and each member of the caretaker committee make up the 4th through 37th defendants.

Through its attorney, Elisha Kurah (SAN), the union claimed in January that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should be in charge of dealing with concerns pertaining to a trade union that has been registered under the Trade Unions Act of 2004.

Adebayo Haroun, the state government’s attorney, said that rather than breaking the law or ending the national body’s functions in the state, the government had established the ad hoc committee in an effort to preserve law and order after violence broke out between the unions.

The attorney representing the fifth through the 37th defendants, Taiwo Kupolati (SAN), claimed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had the authority to keep the country peaceful.

According to him, “There was a crisis and the governor exercised his authority as the Chief Security Officer of the state and put up a committee to be in charge of garages for peace to reign.”

[NaijaNews]