A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has barred a former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Lagos branch, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a. MC Oluomo, and eight others from collecting union dues and levies from commercial drivers that are non-union members at all motor parks in Lagos State.
The ex parte application also restrained the state Government from further enforcing an N800 transport union levy on transporters and commercial vehicles in the state, pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiffs’ substantive originating motion.
Justice Peter Lifu gave the order in respect to an ex parte application filed by a lawyer, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje.
The lawyer filed the application on behalf of himself and a new transport union, Transport Union Society of Nigeria.
Other respondents in the suit are the Registered Trustees of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Registered Trustees of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Registered Trustees of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, Alhaji Lawal Othman, Lagos State Government, Attorney-General of Lagos State, Inspector-General of Police and the Director of State Security Service.
In the application supported by a 34-paragraph affidavit, Ogungbeje prayed the court to restrain the respondents from “forceful imposition, collection, extortion of any transport union levies, dues, fees, or monies from any person, commercial vehicle driver and/or transporter that is not a member of the respondents pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating motion filed before the court.”
The counsel also prayed the court to restrain the respondents from “arresting, detaining, harassing, embarrassing, humiliating, inviting, seizing, and confiscating any commercial vehicle, disturbing and/or interfering with the lawful transport business operations of the applicant and its transport union members in connection with the facts of the case pending the determination of the substantive originating motion.”
Earlier, Justice Lifu had ordered the respondents in the suit to present their reasons within seven days why the reliefs sought by the applicants should not be granted.
At the resumed hearing, Ogungbeje informed the court that the processes were served on the respondents and added that they failed to respond.
On that ground, Justice Lifu granted the reliefs of the applicants.
He adjourned the case till June 6 to determine the applicants’ motion to add other parties to the suit.
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