Company Ordered to Pay N7.9m to Staff for Wrongful Termination

By Steve Aya

An oil and gas services company, ABNL Limited has been ordered by the National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt Division to pay its former staff, Miss Yemi Edokpayi, the sum of N7,920,000 for wrongful termination of her employment. 

Handing down the judgement, Hon. Justice Nelson Ogbuanya held that the sum represents the outstanding salaries and entitlements for the period of her indefinite suspension from January 8, 2015 to December 11, 2020, being a period of six years.

His Lordship further held thus: ‘Accordingly, Relief (5) succeeds, to the extent that the sum of N2 million is hereby awarded against the Defendant in favour of the Claimant as general damages for acts constituting unfair labour practice by keeping the Claimant tied to its employment duties, even while placed on an indefinite suspension without pay for six years. I so hold’.

The case with Suit No: NICN/PHC/146/2020 was commenced by the Claimant Ms Edokpayi against the Defendant, ABNL Limited in 2020. The Claimant who served as the Office Manager with the Defendant Company commenced the suit against the Defendant, basically seeking recovery of arrears of salaries during her indefinite suspension and for her to be recalled back to office, and paid damages for psychological trauma suffered as a result of the indefinite suspension without pay.   

In the Statement of Claim, the Claimant stated that on January 7, 2015 she was placed on indefinite suspension.  

His Lordship further ordered the Defendant to pay the Claimant, the sum of N110, 000.00, being payment of one month’s salary in lieu of notice for termination of the employment. 

And the sum of N2 million was also awarded against the Defendant in favour of the Claimant as general damages for acts constituting unfair labour practice, by keeping the Claimant tied to its employment duties even while placed on an indefinite suspension without pay for six years.