The Court of Appeal, Akure Judicial Division, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Kwara State branch of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Comrade Yusuf Amuda Salihu, challenging the recognition of the Caretaker Committee by the Kwara State Government.
In a unanimous judgment, the Court upheld the decision of the National Industrial Court sitting in Owerri, which had earlier declared the two-year tenure extension of union executives null and void. The Court affirmed that the judgment of the National Industrial Court is binding and has nationwide effect.
The appellate court held that the Kwara State Government acted within the law by recognizing the Caretaker Committee and found no merit in the appellants’ case. Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed in its entirety, and the decision of the trial court was upheld.
The Court also awarded the sum of N500,000 as costs against the appellants.
The dispute arose from a resolution passed during the National Delegates Conference held in Akure on October 13, 2016, which purportedly extended the tenure of union executives at all levels by two years. This decision was challenged in court and subsequently declared null and void by the National Industrial Court in Suit No. NICN/OW/36/2018.
Following the court’s declaration, a Caretaker Committee was constituted in Kwara State and sought recognition from the State Government. In line with the court’s judgment, the Kwara State Government granted recognition to the Committee.
Dissatisfied with the development, the appellants initiated legal proceedings, which culminated in the appeal decided by the Court of Appeal.
