The absence of Femi Falana, yesterday, at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) denied the anti-labour suit filed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, and 11 others hearing.

Joined in the suit as co-defendants are the Kaduna State Judicial Commission of Inquiry and the Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice.

Others are Justice Ishaq Bello, AVM Rabiu Dabo, Mr. Eyo Ekpo, Mrs. Joan Jatau-Kadiya, Dr. Nasirudeen Usman, Mohammed Aliyu, Daniel Enwelum and Musa Kakako.

When the matter came up for hearing, yesterday, Mr. Kanu Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the court that he got a call from Falana, the claimant’s counsel, directing him to tender his apologies to the court and requesting an adjournment till next week, as he was held back in Ghana.

The judge, Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, responded that the court would not sit next week, as the judges would be attending a conference at the National Judicial Institute (NJI).

The court, therefore, adjourned the matter till April 4, for hearing on the originating summons. NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, and other executives sued Kaduna government for alleged anti-workers policies, which led to the actions and events that birthed the warning strike of May 16 to 19, 2021.

MEANWHILE, civil servants in Niger State have extended their warning strike by one week, beginning from midnight of Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

A circular referenced OL/NS/040/GEN/VOL.3/44 and signed by the state’s NLC Chairman, Yakubu Garba, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Ibrahim Gana, to the Head of Service (HoS), Salamatu Abubakar, stated that the extension of the strike was as a result of the inconclusiveness of negotiation between the state government and organised labour.

They also cited lack of commitment by Ministry of Local Government and the 25 local council chairmen on resolving the council staff’s salary issues within the warning strike window.Civil servants in Niger had begun the warning strike midnight of Monday, March 6, 2022.