The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja on Monday adjourned ruling on two motions until Jan. 28, in the suit filed by some aggrieved staff of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN).
Justice Sanusi Kado of the court will on Jan. 28, rule on a contempt of court filed by the claimants in the suit, Mr Seyi Gambo and Comrade Declan Agrinya and stay of proceedings filed by the defendants in the suit.
The defendants are: PENGASSAN Abuja branch, Mr Aminu Ahmed, Idemudia Oseahon, Agora Jubril, Ogbonnaya Okegeri, Abubakar Haruna and Hasiya Ibrahim.
Others are Alice Isah, Ivy Ogbonselebo, Sanusi Abdurrahim and Wale Ajayi, all members of the executive arm of PENGASSAN, Abuja branch.
The claimants in the suit which was filed in 2016 through their counsel, Mr First Baba-Isa for alleged breach of their righst and denial of their entitlement are praying in the motion to commit the defendants to contempt for breaching an order of the court.
According to the claimants, the defendants breach an order by the court asking the two parties to maintain a status quo until the final determination of the suit by the court.
The defendants on their part are also asking the court to stay proceedings on the matter pending the final determination of an appeal filed before the appellate court on the suit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the claimants had filed the suit challenging the executive members of the Abuja branch of the PENGASSAN over irregularities in the election that produced the executive in 2015 which the claimants were aspirants.
They had prayed the court to declare the 2015 election as null and void and to order for a fresh election for the union, and to pay the claimants entitlement from 2016 till date.
The claimants prayed the court to direct the defendants to pay N10 million as general damages for the breach of their rights to fair hearing on the election and N5 million for exemplary damages for injustice.
NAN reports that the defendants on their parts had also asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that it has no jurisdiction to hear the matter.
According to the defendants, the claimants failed to employ the use of Internal Dispute Resolution mechanism provided by PENGASSAN constitution before they rushed to the court, and urged it to dismiss it
