Former Staff Takes CIG Motors to Arbitration

CIG Motors Company Limited has been taken to the National Industrial Court, sitting in Lagos, by its former Sales Manager, Mr. Akeem Adeyemi, who claimed that he was sacked for protesting when the company’s Chinese Chief Executive Officer (name withheld) allegedly made a racial remark against him.

Adeyemi also said the company deducted money from his salary for no reason, saying he was employed on April 21, 2017 and on an annual salary of N2.5 million and in July and August 2017, for no justifiable reason, the company deducted the sum of N104,000 from his salaries contrary to the spirit and letters of the Claimant’s employment contract.

He alleged that the CEO described his monthly sales report presentation of August 2017 as ‘shabby’ and that “Nigerians are not good for anything” and “that is why most of my workers here are Chinese.”

Adeyemi said he protested that it was unfair to make such generalisation about Nigerians, adding that the CEO got angry and sacked him there and then without consideration for the terms of his employment, adding that his disengagement was unfair, unlawful and ought to be declared wrongful.

He is consequently praying the court to declare that the purported termination of his employment with the defendant via a letter dated August 31, 2017 based on the protest against certain alleged racial comments of CIG’s CEO.

Adeyemi pleaded with the court for “A declaration that the deduction of 25 percent from the claimant’s salary for the months of July and August amounting to N104,000 is unfair, unlawful, illegal.

“A declaration that the defendant breached the claimant’s right to freedom from discrimination as provided for under Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Cap C23 LFN 2004.

“A declaration that the deliberate refusal of the defendant to remit the claimant’s pension contribution from April 2017 to August 2017 is unlawful and a violation of the provisions of the Pension Reforms Act 2014.

“A declaration that the deliberate refusal of the defendant to remit the Personal Income Tax monthly deductions made from the Claimant to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Services, is unlawful, and a violation of the provisions of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 LFN 2004.

“A declaration that the Claimant is entitled to the sum of N208,000 being his outstanding entitlements.  

“An order compelling the defendant to remit the claimant’s pension contribution from April 2017 to August 2017 to the Claimant’s Retirement Savings Account.

“An order compelling the defendant to remit on behalf of the Claimant her monthly tax deductions from April 2017 to August 2017 to the Lagos state Internal Revenue Service.

“An order compelling the Defendant to pay to the claimant the sum of N208,000 being his outstanding entitlements. And “An order awarding N750,000 being the cost of this action to the claimant.”

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