Ten years after their employment was wrongfully terminated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, three staff of the bank, Akagwu Audi Yakubu, Idris Auwal, Daciyal Longji David have gotten the nod of the appeal court directing them to be reinstated to their jobs with their full salaries paid.
Beside, the court also awarded against the CBN the cost of N1 Million as damages for the Appellants.
The Claimants who approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the termination are staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria who had their employment terminated in 2015 under the guise of “service no longer required”.
Dissatisfied with the decision of the bank, the claimants engaged the law firm of Falana and Falana’s represented by Mr. Femi Adedeji who filed a complaint before the National Industrial Court seeking the following reliefs:
A declaration that the purported termination of the Claimants appointments with the Defendant is illegal and irregular as it violates the Central Bank of Nigeria Act Cap. C4 LFN 2004 and Paragraph 16.5 the Human Resources Policies and procedures of the Defendant.
An order of this Honourable Court reinstating the Claimants to their respective employment with the Defendant and with immediate effect.
An order directing the Defendant to pay to the Claimants all accrued salaries. Benefits and allowances that are due to the Claimant since their appointments were irregularly terminated by the Defendant.
An order directing the Defendant to pay each of the Claimants the sum of N10, 000, 000. 00 (Ten Million Naira) only as general damages.
However, the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja presided by Honourable Justice B.A. Adejumo, (retired) in a judgement delivered on the 17th of October, 2018 gave judgement in favour of the CBN.
Dissatisfied with the judgment of the National Industrial Court, the claimant appealed to the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
In it’s judgement delivered recently, the appellate court set aside the judgement of the Industrial Court and ordered the reinstatement of the aggrieved staffers to the apex bank.
The court of appeal further declared the termination of the claimants’ employments as illegal and ordered their immediate reinstatement in the following words:
“Consequently, this appeal has merit and is accordingly allowed. The judgment of the National Industrial Court in suit No: NICN/ABJ/119/2015 delivered in October 17, 2018 by Honourable Justice B.A. Adejumo, OFR is hereby set aside.
“It is hereby ordered that the Appellants be reinstated back to their respective employment with the Respondent and with immediate effect.
“The Respondent shall pay to the claimants all accrued salaries, benefits and allowances that are due to the Claimants since their appointments were irregularly terminated by the Respondent._
The Cost of N1, 000, 000. 00 is also awarded against the Respondent.
By this judgment it is no longer fashionable for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to terminate the appointment of its employees on the grounds of “services no longer required”.
