Court threatens to sanction striking Bauchi teachers

A Bauchi State principal district court, on Thursday,
threatened to sanction the executive members of the
Bauchi State Association of Secondary School
Teachers for their non-compliance with the order of
the court that the association should not embark
upon any strike.
The state Ministry of Education had recently
approached the court to restrain members of the
association from going on an indefinite strike,
following their demand that that the state governor,
Mallam Isa Yuguda, should re-deploy the state
Commissioner for Education to another ministry.
Despite the court order, members of the association
embarked upon the strike, as their leaders alleged
that they were served the order after the strike had
commenced.
At the resumed hearing of the suit on Thursday,
counsel for the teachers, J.T. Kulebo, filed a
preliminary objection to the suit, on the grounds that
the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the
matter, saying that the association would challenge
the court jurisdiction.
On his part, counsel for the ministry, M.O. Mwoye,
informed the court that the association refused to
obey the restraining order and sought for the court's
leave to serve them with Form 48 for disobeying the
court.
He said the preliminary objection raised by the
defence counsel was not properly raised, as it was
done orally, instead of putting the plaintiff on notice.