NICN gets ADR centre

Before now, when an employee drags the employer to court, he would have been more miserable before the final court judgment as litigation normally takes several years. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that spurred the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, Friday, to inaugurate the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) […]

Before now, when an employee drags the employer to court, he would have been more miserable before the final court judgment as litigation normally takes several years.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons that spurred the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, Friday, to inaugurate the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre in Abuja.
The event which took place at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre,  Abuja attracted eminent jurists, both serving and retired, including Justice Mohammed Uwais, a retired CJN.
According to the CJN, not all labour dispute must go through rigorous process of litigation, adding that cases that could have taken 3 years in court may now be settled within three months.
President NICN, Justice Babatunde Adejumo in his welcome address described the CJN as the champion of ADR. A glaring example, according to Adejumo was the CJN’s active call on all superior courts of record to present lecture papers on ADR during the 2015 All Judges Conference at the National Judicial Institute.
 Adejumo said that one pivotal aim of establishing the NICN, ADR centre was to assist parties in dispute to collaborate towards settling their disputes and arriving at a win-win or mutually acceptable agreement in less costly, speedy and efficient manner.
This according to him is calculated at preserving and engendering industrial peace and harmony, which in effect promote economic development and cohesive interpersonal rapport and conducive work environment within the dynamics of employer/employee relationships.
The National Assembly (NASS) in 2010 amended the 1999 Constitution to re-establish the NICN as a superior court of record with exclusive jurisdiction over expanded subject matters provided in Section 254 C (1).
The constitution (as amended by the 3rd Alteration Act, 2010) in section 254 C (3) provides that the NICN may establish an ADR Centre within the court premises on matters which jurisdiction is conferred on the court by the constitution or any Act or Law.
Section 20 of the NICNACT 2006 also provides that the court may promote reconciliation among the parties thereto and encourage and facilitate amicable settlement.