By Inalegwu Shaibu
ABUJA—THE Senate has amended the 1999 constitution to confer constitutional powers on the National Industrial Court to operate as a court of superior record.

The amendment of section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, which was passed by the Senate yesterday, conferred the status of Federal High Court on the National Industrial Court, in the settlement of trade and industrial disputes within Nigeria.

Presenting the lead debate on the bill, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said the bill will close the gap in the National Industrial Court in settling industrial and trade disputes and create harmonious working environment between employers of labour and their employees.

He said: “The National Assembly observed that the purpose for which the court was established will not be really achieved if the court is not consolidated by appropriately listing it among the courts of the federation with superior status in the relevant sections of the constitution.”

A total of 81 senators voted yesterday on all 16 clauses of the bill, which seeks to include the National Industrial Court as a court of superior record among the courts established for the federation.

Highlights of the bill as passed include “listing of the National Industrial Court among the courts with original judicial powers of the federation, inclusion of the President and Judges of the National Industrial Court among officers whose remuneration, salaries and allowances may be prescribed by the National Assembly and determined by Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission.

“Inclusion of the National Industrial Court among the courts in which the Appeal Court shall have jurisdiction to the exclusion of others to hear and determine appeals arising there from.

“Inclusion of the National Industrial Court among the courts whose decision shall of right be appealed to as provided in section 243 of the Constitution. Inclusion of the National Industrial Court, the President and the Judges of the Court in Chapter 7 of the Constitution dealing with the judicature and specifically part 1 which covers federal courts, in the area of establishment and composition, appointment, jurisdiction, powers, Constitution of the court and practice and procedure.
“Inclusion of the National Industrial Court as a court of higher jurisdiction in question as to the interpretation or application of the Constitution as contained in clause 10.”
At the end of voting on the bill, Senate President, David Mark charged the Court to improve on its services, stressing that the new status should translate into better and efficient adjudication of industrial disputes by the court.
He said, “we hope that the Industrial Court, joining court of several status will now begin to perform its duties in resolving most of our industrial disputes.”