TUC Rejects FG’s Appointments of NIC Judges

TUC  President-General, Peter Esele

By Linda Eroke

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has faulted the appointments

of 12 judges at the National Industrial Court (NIC), claiming they

were not qualified to be appointed judges of NIC going by the Act

setting up the court.

In a petition to the President of NIC, TUC called for the full

investigation of the appointments of the judges to find out why

individuals who did not meet the requirements spelt out for the

appointment of NIC judges were appointed.

Specifically, the congress argued that all the newly-appointed judges

of the NIC did not meet the required qualifications under Section 2 of

the National Industrial Court Act of  2006 which provides for the

appointment of legal practitioners for the court.

TUC in a petition through its President-General, Peter Esele, said it

had confirmed that none of the newly-appointed judges of the NIC met

the requirement of the law and therefore were not qualified.

The petition which was copied equally President Goodluck Jonathan,

read: “Sequel to the recommendation of the National Judicial Council,

President Goodluck Jonathan appointed 12 new judges for the National

Industrial Court in May, 2013. To our utter dismay, the 12 new judge

are qualified under Section 2 of the National Industrial Court 2006

which provides for the appointment of legal practitioners of not less

than 10 years standing with ‘considerable knowledge and experience in

the law and practice of industrial relations and employment conditions

in Nigeria” or a graduate of recognised university of not less than 10

years standing and has “considerable knowledge and experience in the

law and practice of industrial relations and employment conditions in

Nigeria.’

“We have confirmed that none of the newly appointed judges of the

National Industrial Court met the requirement of the law and therefore

are not qualified to preside over the industrial relations and labour

matters. We are therefore compelled, as a major stakeholder in the

cases decided by the court to request for an investigation into the

circumstances surrounding the illegal appointment of the 12 new judges

of the NIC by the president based on the recommendations of the NJC.

More so, that some lawyers who were qualified by law were not

shortlisted by the President of the NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo,

because they are not connected to people in high places.

“We have confidence that the Chairman of the NJC and the Chief Justice

of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who has embarked on

patriotic reform of the judiciary will not allow judges who are not

qualified to preside over cases in the NIC.”