Teachers drag Wike to industrial court over stoppage of salaries

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State has commenced hearing in a suit filed by 254 teachers challenging the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over stoppage of their salaries.

The workers comprising of teachers of primary and demonstration schools of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), and Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic (KSWP), Bori, are praying the court to compel the state government to pay their salaries stopped since February 2016.

The teachers numbering 102 from RSUST; 97 from IAUE; and 55 from KSWP, claimed that following Wike’s order in February, their institutions refused to pay their salaries.

The claimants in suits NICN/YEN/87/2016 for IAUE; NICN/YEN/88/2016 for KSWP and NICN/YEN/89/2016 for RSUST, sued Wike (first defendant), for ordering the stoppage of their salaries.

The teachers who prayed the court to declare their appointments valid and subsisting, also joined Attorney General of the state as second defendant and their various institutions as third defendants in the suit.

In the originating summons by their counsel, Mr. Damian Okoro, the teachers prayed the court to declare that they were entitled to the payments of their respective salaries, allowances and emoluments until they attain their respective ages of retirement of the third defendants.

They also sought a declaration that the first defendant’s directive stopping their pay with effect from the end of February 2016, was unlawful, null and void.

They also sought a declaration that the first defendant (Wike) had no right to order the discontinuance of the payment of their salaries with effect from February 2016, among other reliefs sought.

At the resumed hearing of the suit, the Attorney General of Rivers State, Emmanuel Aguma, who represented Wike and himself, filed a counter affidavit in opposition to the claimants’ originating summons.

He said the claimants were not employees of the first defendant but the employees of the third defendant and that the salaries of the claimants were paid by the third defendant, adding that there was no contractual relationship between the claimants and the first defendant (Wike).

Aguma contended that the first defendant did not order or direct the stoppage of the payment of the salaries of the claimants who were not its employees, but announced the withdrawal of government’s financial support to the 3rd defendants as it affects salaries of its employees.

He said that the first and second defendants were not necessary parties to the suit as they were neither the employers of the claimants nor were they responsible paying their salaries.

He said it would be in the interest of justice to strike out the names of the first and second defendants and or dismiss the claims against them.

The judge, Justice James Agbadu-Fishim, adjourned the matter until October 13, 2016 for hearing. He, however, said hearing notice should be issued and served on the third defendants.