OYSG, NLC feud: Court slams N250, 000 fine on NUT over alleged assault on court bailiff

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By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
There was a mild drama in the industrial tango between the Oyo State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Ibadan, on Tuesday slammed a fine of N250, 000 on the state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) for an alleged assault on a court bailiff.
New Nigerian learnt that the court bailiff was allegedly assaulted at the NUT secretariat on June 23, while trying to effect service of a court process in a suit by the state government against the union on the strike embarked upon by workers in the state.
Justice Firstina Kola-Olalere of the NIC declared that the incident assaulting court bailiff is becoming a  frequent issue and that the court can no longer fold its hands watching  the image of the judiciary be ridiculed.
Justice Olalere lamented that teacher that are supposed to serve as role models to the masses are now maltreating court bailiff for doing his lawful job, adding that the attitude was highly condemnable.
She ordered that the fine must be paid on or before August 12 in order to serve as deterrent to orders.
However, in her ruling on the application by the Oyo State Government to withdraw the suit and substitute it with another one which contained six respondents, stating that the initial suit contained three respondents, the judge said the NUT has failed to give sufficient proof to the court that would prevent the court from granting the application of the claimant.
Justice Kola-Olalere then granted the application and strike out the case.
Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Seun Abimbola, had at the last sitting of the court applied for the withdrawal of the suit while Counsel to the NLC and TUC, Mr Yakub Fadare and Mr. Femi Aborisade, did not oppose the application, but the NUT counsel Mr. Waheed, opposed the withdrawal of the suit, praying the court to dismiss the suit.

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