By Vincent Ujumadu
Anambra State House of Assembly Wednesday cut short its Christmas and New Year break to hold a plenary during which it passed a bill to alter the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and third alteration of the constitution 2010 for the setting up of a National Industrial Court.

The emergency sitting, which was presided over by the speaker, Chief Anayo Nnebe, approved that the National Industrial Court shall have a president and such number of judges as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

According to the bill, the appointment of the president of the court shall be made by the president of the federation on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, subject to confirmation by the senate.

The bill stipulates that a person shall not be eligible to hold the office of the president of the court unless he or she was qualified to practice as a legal practitioner in Nigeria and had been so qualified for a period of not less than 10 years and had a considerable knowledge and experience in law and practice of industrial relations and employment conditions in Nigeria.

The House provides that the industrial court may establish an alternative dispute resolutions within the court premises on matters which jurisdiction is conferred on the court by the constitution.

The speaker, Chief Nnebe said that with the alteration of the constitution, the National Industrial Court has become one of the superior courts of record under Section 6 (5) of the constitution, adding that the salaries of the Judges are to be prescribed by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.