The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT Ekiti State wing has denied the speculations that the Supreme Court in its judgement of January, 15,2021,granted secondary school teachers operating under the umbrella of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools ,ASUSS,power to operate as a trade union.
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools ASUSS had early issued a statement where it applauded the supreme court for stopping plans by NUT to deregister it.
However, NUT Ekiti State wing in a statement signed by it chairman Comrade Oke Emmanuel and the secretary Comrade Akin Ade Ojo cautioned members of ASUSS aginst spreading fake news and misinforming members of the public about the outcome of the court saying no amount of lies peddled by the group would change the fact about their status.
According to NUT the claim by ASUSS in a section of the media that it has obtained judgment to unionize secondary school teachers is reckless, complete falsehood and extraneous to the decisions of the Supreme Court.
Ekiti NUT insisted that contrary to the claim of ASUSS that it was granted registration, Supreme Court never granted such order saying the Union was only being mischievous.
Setting the Record Straight “The subject matter between ASUSS vs NUT bothered on the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to grant the restraining order sought by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) against the Minister of Labour and Productivity to unilaterally register a Trade Union contrary to the provisions of Ss. 3(2), 5 (4) of the Trade Union Act CAP. T14 LFN 2004.”
“The contest of the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the Suit of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) vs Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) was upheld by the Federal High Court Abuja, which was appealed by the ASUSS to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court respectively.
However, the Supreme Court in its judgement held that ” under the doctrine of stare decisis, we are bound by these decisions. It follows therefore, that in the instant case, where His Lordship E. Ekanem, JCA who did not participate in the hearing of the appeal, rendered a judgment thereon, the lower court, in so far as the panel that delivered the judgment was different from the panel that heard the appeal, was incompetent.
“The appeal is therefore allowed. The judgment delivered on 9/6/2014 is a nullity and must be and is hereby set aside. Appeal No. CA/A/256/09 shall be remitted to the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, to be heard by a different panel of that court.”
NUT wonders where ASUSS got its own version of the judgement, urging members of the public to disregard the fake news.
