Court Orders OGFZA to Reinstate Employee Suspended for 12 Years

The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has given the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) to recall and reinstate one of its managers Funmi Omosule who was suspended 12 years ago.

Justice Olufunke Anuwe who issued the order also held that the continued suspension of the claimant  by the authority since 2011 was oppressive, unjustifiable, null and void and of no effect.

The judge declared that the stoppage of the claimant’s salaries and allowances on the basis of his suspension was unjustifiable.

She consequently ordered that the claimant’s salaries and allowances be computed  from April 2021 up to the time he is reinstated and be paid to him.

The judge also awarded the sum N500,000 to the claimant. She however declined the claimant’s request that he be promoted to the  level he would have been had he not been suspended.

In its defence, OGFZA argued that Omosule was suspended because he failed to bring original certificates before the management for verification.

In his reply, the claimant said he lost his original certificates and that he submitted certified true copies of the certificates to the authority but that his employer still refused to recall him from the suspension.