TUC Leadership Tussle Deepens as Group Urges FG, Others Not to Recognise Osifo

•Declares national delegate conference nullity

Ugo Aliogo

The Chairman, Concerned Affiliates of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Emmanuel Jaja has called on the employers of labour in Nigeria, federal and state governments not to recognise or have anything to do with the leadership of TUC pending the determination of a substantive suit in court.

Jaja, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos, during a media briefing said the election produced Mr. Festus Osifo, as TUC President was held on July 19, at Abuja, during the 12th Triennial National Delegate Conference of TUC. Osifo is the current President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN).

He revealed that the purported National Delegates Conference of TUC was a nullity, saying the products of the conference should not by any means be recognised, “as the leadership of TUC as the so called delegates conference contradicted all forms, rules and laws guiding the Congress Delegates Conferences.”

Jaja further stated that it was, “most regrettable and disheartening that a labour centre like ours (TUC) could deliberately desecrate the temple of justice by flagrantly disobeying its orders.”

He recalled that the National Industrial Court on July 6, 2022, had restrained TUC and its agents in the presence of TUC lawyers and the PANGASINAN from conducting the delegates conference, pending the determination of the substantive issues.

“We, therefore, call on the federal and state governments and all employers of labor in Nigeria not to recognise or have anything to do with the so-claimed leadership of TUC of Nigeria pending the determination of the substantive issues in the Court.

“Meanwhile we have directed our lawyers to ensure that they do the needful as regards the violation of the court orders to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to defile Court orders in future,” he added.

He hinted that the case is presently at the industrial court.

Jaja maintained that TUC’s resolutions at its 11th Triennial National Delegates Conference held in 2019, where the conference unanimously agreed that FOTOB should produce the National President of the Congress from 2019 to 2022, while ASSIBIFI should produce the President of the Congress from 2022 to 2025 and thereafter the position of the Presidency shall be left open to any affiliate that wishes to contest the position of Presidency. He further explained that the decision was reached at various organs of the Centre, which included the National Administrative Council (NAC), the Central Working Committee (CWO), the National Executive council (NEC), and finally at the National Delegates Conference. (NDC).

According to him, “The implementation of the resolutions commenced with FOTOB which produced the President of the Congress as agreed in 2019 and by 2022 June he served out his tenure as per the resolution of the 2019 delegates’ conference and for ASSIBIFI to produce the next president.

“Regrettably, the National Secretariat of the Congress on 28th February 2022 issued a notice on the Congress WhatsApp platforms informing the affiliates of the coming Congress National Delegates conference which was scheduled to hold on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th July 2022.”