ABUJA, Nigeria – The government has announced the withdrawal of the contempt of court proceedings initiated against the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and other labour leaders.
The decision comes on the back of a nationwide protest launched by organised labour.
The letter communicating this decision was sent to the NLC’s lead counsel, Falana and Falana’s Chambers.
It was signed by the Solicitor General of the Federation, Mrs B.E. Jeddy-Agba, dated August 7, 2023.
It is important to note that the Federal Ministry of Justice had earlier issued a summons to the leadership of organised labour through the National Industrial Court, NICN, for contempt of court, due to the decision of labour unions to proceed with the nationwide protest.
This action by the labour unions was in response to what they described as the “anti-poor policies of the government,” especially concerning the removal of subsidy which had reportedly brought hardship to the populace.
The letter emphasized the ministry’s position, highlighting that it aimed to protect the court’s integrity and avoid potential service disruptions or damage to public infrastructure.
However, despite these warnings, the labour unions went ahead with their planned industrial action on August 2, 2023, which even resulted in the National Assembly’s gate being pulled down.
In line with legal procedures, the ministry had initiated contempt proceedings by filing Form 48 on August 2, 2023.
The next step in the process would have been the issuance of Form 49 and the subsequent committal order.
However, with President Bola Tinubu’s intervention and the subsequent agreement between the labour unions and the government to end the industrial action, the ministry decided against proceeding further.
Highlighting the implications, the letter pointed out, “It is self-evident that the non-issuance of Form 49 as at August 4, 2023, renders the contempt proceedings inchoate.”
The Federal Government has now called on Falana and Falana’s Chambers to provide guidance to the labour unions concerning contempt proceedings and to note that the issues raised by the NLC have now been rendered moot.
This development, analysts say, represents a win for organised labour, highlighting the power of collective action in democratic settings.
