Bayelsa gets National Industrial Court

Matters relating to or arising from labour, employment, trade unions, industrial relations, among others can now be resolved in Bayelsa State as the state now has the National Industrial Court.

Before now, the government, aggrieved labour unions and lawyers had to travel long distances to Calabar, Cross River State and Akure in Ondo State to prosecute and defend labour related matters.

The NIC began its special session on Thursday to mark the opening of the Yenagoa Division of the court.

President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice Babatunde Adejumo; Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.); Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Allison Edmund-Oguru; Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Kemasuode Wodu, judges and lawyers were present at the opening of the court.

In his opening remarks, Adejumo said a virile, functional, well-funded and independent labour and industrial court was a panacea for incessant industrial actions, rancorous and hostile work environment.

He asserted that there was a nexus between the existence of a virile industrial court and national economic development.

He said the establishment of the Yenagoa judicial division would contribute, in no small measures, to the sustenance of virile, friendly and congenial industrial environment in Bayelsa.

“I am mindful of the prime position of the state as an oil-producing state and strategic industrial hub in Nigeria. This judicial division will be of immense and invaluable benefits to employers and employees alike,” Adejumo said.

In his remarks, Jonah said the need for an independent, virile and effective justice administration system and the guarantee of access to justice for the people remained one of the pillars of the Seriake Dickson administration.

Jonah said, “In this regard, the government was one of the first to make deliberate efforts to preserve the independence of the Judiciary in the state through Judiciary Self Accounting Bill which was later passed by the House of Assembly and signed into law by Dickson.

“It is therefore in pursuit of this vision the state has consistently supported any process that will ensure access to justice for our people including the establishment of a division of NICN in Yenagoa.”

On his part, Wodu said the court is of critical importance to the state, especially in the quest of the administration to drive commercial and industrial development.

“Companies coming into the state will certainly want to be assured that there are facilities for the resolution of any disputes relating to industrial relations such as health and welfare of their workers,” Wodu said.