For a decade, ninety-seven classroom teachers at the Demonstration Secondary School, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, went to work with empty pockets. Their nightmare started on a quiet morning in February 2016. Overnight, their livelihoods were cut off by an executive directive. Today, relief has finally come from the bench.
A three-man panel at the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal has brought a definitive end to the long-standing legal battle. The appellate court ordered the Rivers State Government and the university management to immediately calculate and pay all accumulated salaries withheld from the workers over the last 10 years.
The genesis of the crisis dates back to 2016. The former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, issued an executive order halting funding for the institution's staff. Obediently executing the command, the university management stopped paying the 97 teachers. Stranded but determined, the workers approached the National Industrial Court to fight for their survival.
By 2018, the industrial court ruled that the salary stoppage was completely illegal. It affirmed that the teachers remained legitimate employees of the state. However, the judge refused to command the immediate payment of the arrears, noting that individual salary differences required separate computations. Displeased with the ruling, the Rivers State Government filed an appeal to overturn it. Simultaneously, the teachers filed a cross-appeal, demanding their hard-earned money.
Justice has now prevailed at the appellate court, which serves as the final arbiter for industrial disputes in Nigeria. The panel dismissed the state government’s appeal entirely and upheld the teachers' demands.
Reacting to the landmark victory, the lead counsel for the affected educators, Emeka Dite Ojoko, expressed immense relief over the finality of the judgment.
"The Court of Appeal gave judgment dismissing the appeal against the judgment of the National Industrial Court and also granted our cross-appeal against the refusal of the National Industrial Court to order the government to pay the staff salaries," Ojoko stated.
The legal practitioner further clarified the scope of the new judicial order to avoid public misconceptions.
"The case applies strictly to staff of the Demonstration Secondary School of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. It does not cover teachers from other institutions such as International Secondary School of Rivers State University and Comprehensive Secondary School, Bori, where separate cases on the same matter are being handled by different legal teams," Ojoko added.
Representatives for the Rivers State Government could not be reached for comments regarding their plan for compliance. For the 97 teachers, however, the long walk through the corridors of justice has finally yielded fruit.
