FG's suit on strike: Labour shuns court 'Court summons The Sun editor, reporter

The National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Abuja could not commence hearing, on Thursday, in the suit filed by the Federal Government through the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) praying it to stop organised labour from embarking on strike as the respondents, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), were neither in court nor represented by any counsel.The court had fixed yesterday for the hearing of the motion on notice last Friday after granting an ex-parte order stopping the respondents from embarking on mass protest, rallies and strike action.When the matter came up on Thursday, counsel for the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomolo, told the court that in obedience to the order of the court earlier made, the claimant had served the respondents through some national dailies and that an affidavit had been deposed and filed to that effect.The court, however, observed that the claimant had not fully complied with the court's order by placing the service in two national newspapers instead of the three ordered by the court.The panel of three justices headed by the president of the court, Justice B.A Adejumo, held that the motion on notice could not be heard without the claimant complying fully with the order of the court as to substituted service.Counsel for the claimant later sought the leave of the court to replace the process of substituted service in The Guardian but also pleaded that should there be difficulty with Guardian,the court should allow it to place it in the Leadership or Daily Trust.Earlier,the president of the court had commented on the publication in the The Sun of Saturday, January 7, 2012 where it was written that the order of injunction granted by the court was procurred by the Attorney-General of the Federation and that the court was a black market. He said the publication was a dent on the integrity of the judiciary.Justice Adejumo, consequently summoned one Fred Agbaje, The Sun editor and a reporter of the newspaper to appear before it to prove their claims.The court granted the order made by the claimant to re-publish the processes including the summons to appear before it while it adjourned till Monday for hearing of the Originating Summons.
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