BY ESE ADAGBRA.
The Industrial Court sitting in Yanegoa Bayelsa State has declared Illegal Mr Lucky Osezuwa led National Executives of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers PTD Branch of the National Union of Petroleum and National & Natural Gas Workers NUPENG .
The Court also ordered the setting up of Caretaker Committee within 4 months that will in turn come up with an Electoral Committee that will conduct a fresh election.
Justice Bashar , A. Akali ruled that both the 1 st and 2 Defendants, the National President of NUPENG Comrade Williams Akporeha and Mr Salemor Akani Oladeti the out going , National Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD breached the PTD Bye – Laws of the National Union of Petroleum ,National & Natural Gas Workers NUPENG and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Learned Judge also ruled that ,It is only those who are Petroleum Tanker Drivers ,are qualified to contest PTD Executive positions,Adding that the Branch National Executive Committee under the leadership of the 1,Defendant, was obligatory and duty bind to constitute an Electoral Committee to fix a date and modalities for the election to be confirm by the National Leadership of NUPENG not later than 3 months to the Delegate Conference before the end of the tenure of the present Executive that ended by June 2022.
That the 1 Defendant ( President of NUPENG) as the Head of the Branch Executive Committee ” Deliberately ” Breached it .
Justice Bashar also set aside the suspension and reinstated Comrade Godwin Ewrudjakpor as the National Vice Chairman,Adding that the action of Mr Salemor Oladeti in suspending his Vice was a breached of not only, the Bye Laws of PTD -NUPENG but also the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
” I set aside the purported suspension of the claimant ” Declaring the election which brought Mr Lucky Osezuwa Executive illegal:
Hear the Learned Judge
“I set aside the purported election allegedly conducted during the Delegate Conference of the Branch on the 30th day of June, 2022 for being in breach of the operating Bye-Laws of the Branch (PTD) of the Union.”
He ordered Mr Salemor Oladeti to set up an Electoral Committee to conduct an election into the various National Offices of the Branch (PTD) of the Union within four months from the day of the judgement (24,July ,2023).
He asked that a Caretaker Committee should be set up to handle the affairs of the PTD pending the conduct of the election in line with Rule 10 of Ext. NUPENG 002.
The Claimant Comrade Williams Egwrudjakpor, who instituted the suit May,2022,
In an interview, said he went to court to challenged the actions of Mr Salemor Akani Oladeti,and Mr Lucky Osezuwa of allegedly marginalizing him and other executive members to the ” Extent that Members could no longer pay their House rents and Children School fees! Even to eat is a problem! I also went to court to challenge the Kangaroo Election or selection that brought Mr Lucky Osezuwa because he is not a Tanker Driver! Not our member “
He concluded , by saying he is going to be return unopposed in the fresh election to be conducted ,as ordered by the Court.
