The Lagos State Government has requested a Certified True Copy of the court judgment that overturned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s appointment of the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee, with the intention of filing an appeal.

The appointment of the committee was revoked by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

Justice Maureen Esowe ruled that the state’s suspension of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) was unlawful and ordered its reinstatement.

The state government terminated RTEAN operations in September 2022 and formed a 35-member caretaker committee to take over the union’s functions.

However, the industrial court’s decision also barred the state government from interfering with the union’s executive committee’s actions in the future.

RTEAN, in suit NICN/LA/381/2022, had contested the Lagos State government’s dissolution of its executive council.

Lagos State Governor, the state’s Attorney-General, and the governor’s Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa, were the initial three defendants in the claim.

The state government, however, stated that, contrary to reports in some media outlets, what it established is known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the operations of commercial road transport workers activities within garages and motor parks, and not a caretaker committee to run RTEAN in the state.

According to the state government, the Musiliu Akinsanya-led Lagos State Park Management Committee, also known as MC Oluomo, was not a party to RTEAN’s petition.

“Our attention has been drawn to reports on various media about a judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Maureen Esowe in respect of Suit No NICN/LA/381/2022 between the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and The Executive Governor of Lagos State and 36 Ors,” said Grace Alo, Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Justice.

“The reliefs sought from the Court by the Claimant include a declaration that the purported dissolution of the Elected Executive Committee of the Claimant operating in Lagos State and the appointment of a Caretaker Committee to run its affairs in Lagos State by the Lagos State Government is unconstitutional, null and void.

“It is on record that what the Lagos State Government set up is known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the Operations of Commercial Road Transport Workers Activities within Garages and Motor Parks and not a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos State.

“Several of the reports have mistakenly attributed to the Judgement that the Lagos State Park Management Committee (Committee) has been dissolved. The validity of the Lagos State Park Management Committee was not an issue before the Court and the Committee was not a party to the suit.”

“The dissolution of the committee is unrelated to the issues before the court.”