Fresh leadership tussle, check-off dues tear Anambra NULGE apart

The tussle over who should be recognised as the authentic President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) is rocking Anambra State, where Chuddy Orakwue and Adigwe Chikwelu have factionalised it into two camps.

There is also contention over who should be responsible for the collection of check-off dues being paid by the workers for the past three years.

A factional Chairman, Orakwue, had relied on a favourable judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), which sat in Owerri, Imo State in suit No. NICN/OW/36/2018 between Uzoma Ekeanyanwu and others against Richard Eze and others to attempt to unseat Chikwelu, but did not get the nod of the past administration of Willie Obiano.

Angered by the development, Chukwunonso Okaka, VictorMary Anuna and Orakwue filed a suit against former state President, Jerry Nnubia, for himself and representing the entire state officers and members of SEC of the state branch/chapter against Jerry Nnubia-led State Executive Council of the branch/chapter of the union, NULGE, and Adigwe, as first, second and third defendants respectively.                               

The trio demanded a declaration that no elected officer of the union in the state, whose four years purported tenure in office has elapsed, is entitled to continue to hold until office upon the expiration of such tenure contrary to the union’s constitution.                       

Accordingly, the claimants, therefore, asked for an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the first defendant , whose four years tenure of the second term in office expired on December 9, 2017, and those he represents whose tenure has also expired same, either by themselves or agents, among others, from parading or holding themselves out as State Officers and members of SEC or running the affairs of the union.

They also sought a declaration that the tenure of the State Officers and members of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the Chapter/Branch who was elected on December 10, 2013, and constitutionally expired by effluxion of time on December 9, 2017.             

Moreover, they sought an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Second and Third Defendants, either by themselves or servants committed or any other organ whatsoever from according to recognition to the First Defendant and all the persons he represents as Officers and members of SEC of the branch/chapter of the union. 

Orakwue had already notified the Soludo-led administration of the fresh September 29, 2022, virtual judgment by NICN Awka Division presided over by Justice John Tagema monitored by The Guardian in which the court granted the reliefs sought to derive from Suit No. NICN/AWK/44/2019.

The notification letter dated October 6, 2022, was addressed to the Chairman of the newly-constituted Joint State Local Account Allocation Committee (JAAC).