Railway workers in the country under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) have cautioned the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to desist from subverting court process by staying off the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) compound in Lagos.
According to a media statement made available to Transport Day by the General Secretary of the NUR, Comrade Segun Esan, “Our attention has been drawn to the statement of the Hon Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on the NTA’s ‘Weekend Deal’ in Abuja on Saturday, 20th June 2020, where he mentioned his Ministry’s plan to invite foreign investors to Nigerian Railway with a view to taking up the expansive railway compound in Ebute Metta for renewal without recourse and attempt on finding a lasting solution to the staff quarter monetization issue.
“We the entire workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) express our unreserved displeasure over the Honourable Minister’s deliberate and pre-meditated statement as afore-referred that is clearly pre-emptive, subversive, and contemptuous of the esteemed court of appeal where the Management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation has taken its workers to challenge the sound judgment delivered in favour of the railway workers at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over the contending issue of staff quarter monetization in the Corporation.
“We are grossly disappointed in the attempt of the Hon Minister of Transportation to subvert and undermine the integrity of the esteemed Court of Appeal by making such statement to the diverse public, obviously for the reason of misinforming the public, when he knows fully well that such act on his part is illicit especially when the case before the court has not run its full course.”
The statement added that “railway workers have a favourable judgment that was soundly, meticulously and painstakingly delivered by the competent trial court (National Industrial Court of Nigeria, (NICN) after adjudicating over the case for 5 tortuous years.
While the judgment is still subsisting and yet to be set aside by the court of appeal where the NRC management has dragged its workers so as to scuttle the full implementation of the federal government’s policy of monetization, it is expected that the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, should exercise exemplary restraints to the end of the full course of the case before the court.”
