The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has nullified the purported suspension of president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alhaji Waheed Odusile and the Vice President, South East, Prince Petrus Obi.
The court also quashed the purported suspension of the South East Vice President of the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Chibota Edozie and Ngozi Agbo from NUJ Enugu State Council.
Delivering the judgment in suit No. NICN/ABJ/51/2020, Justice O.O. Onyewumi held that the action of NUJ National Executive Council, NEC, in suspending the above named persons was illegal.
According to the judge: “I agree with applicants counsel that the applicant’s can only be suspended when they have been afforded the opportunities to be heard in line with provisions of Article 7 which is one of the basic principles of natural justice.
“I find that the indefinite suspension of the applicants is null and void having been ultra vires the NUJ constitution. I so find and hold”.
The court held that suspension under the NUJ Constitution must not exceed 12 months.
It also held that the power of NEC to suspend automatically, any member who institutes legal proceedings without exhausting internal mechanism for resolution of disputes is hinted to actions against the union itself, not a member or president.
