200 pharmaceutical workers in Kano may lose their jobs as result of Court Tussle

No fewer than 200 pharmaceutical workers in Kano may lose their jobs as a result of the enforcement of a Kano High Court order against a pharmaceutical factory in the state.

The property, known as Ugolab Production Nigeria Limited and located on plot 157/159 Club Road in the metropolis, has been the subject of a 14-year legal battle between the lab’s owners and Idris Yaro’s family.

During the weekend, however, a team of court bailiffs stormed the premises and evacuated production equipment, after which men from the Nigerian Police Force were stationed to barricade the entry and exit of the laboratory, denying officials and workers access to their workplace.

In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, most of the workers who requested anonymity said they were at a crossroads and in agony, not knowing what to do given the country’s current economic situation.

The owners of the pharmaceutical company on the contested property, who claimed to have legally purchased the estate 20 years ago, expressed their dissatisfaction with the court order and reclaim process being enforced by the Yaro family’s heirs.

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Mr. Chris Metu, General Manager, Operations and Administration, Ugolab, lamented the invasion of Ugolab property by the court bailiff as illegal and in violation of court order while speaking to journalists about the development.

Mr. Metu, who confirmed the Kano High Court verdict that ruled on the ownership of the contentious property in favor of the Yaro family, insisted that the forcible takeover of the property was outright, because the matter had already been scheduled for hearing at the Appeal Court.

“We have been in Kano High Court for years with the Yaro family against Ugolab and UBA,” he said. The matter was to acquire a property on 157/159 Club Road, Kano, where the Ugolab facility is visible. On August 19, 2021, the Kano High Court ruled in favor of the Yaro family, allowing them to take possession of the property in question.

“Following the court’s ruling, Ugolab’s legal team challenged the lower court’s judgment at the Appeal Court, where we obtained an ex-parte order for stay of execution of the lower court order.” That is, all parties involved are expected to maintain the status quo until the appeal is heard, which has already been scheduled for November 30, 2021.

“Now, while waiting for the case to be heard at the Appeal Court, we noticed Kano High Court staff evacuating property in the Ugolab facility in defiance of the court’s ruling.” This is sad and unfortunate because they have disrupted lawful business and made it difficult for workers to go about their daily routine.

“All we wanted was for the rule of law to reign supreme.” All we ask is that they obey the court order because the Appeal Court’s injunction is the higher and superior authority. You can’t just take over 200 workers out of their daily grind and expect them to go unnoticed. Several mouths have been deprived of food. What do you think these people will do next? “They have removed our AC and a vital facility from the laboratory,” Metu explained.

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Meanwhile, the Yaro family’s attorney, Barr. Ahmad Sani Bawa, stated that the reclaiming of the property and forcible eviction of the facility occupants was an execution of a court order.

Bawa recalled that on August 19, 2021, Kano High Court Justice Usman Na’aba issued a judgment in favor of Idris Yaro’s family as the rightful owner of the property. He claimed he was not aware of or served with any motion for a stay of execution from the Appeal Court.