The National
Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has awarded the sum of about N42.8m in favour
of a former employee of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Abdulazeez Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, a former
Deputy Manager with Zenith Bank Plc, had sued the bank, challenging the
decision of its management terminating his appointment over a purported N7bn
fraud said to have been perpetrated by a syndicate within the bank.
The presiding
judge, Justice O. Shogbola, in his judgment, awarded N42m in favour of the
plaintiff, to cover for salaries, allowances and interests accruable to the
plaintiff for the period of his suspension and subsequent sacking by the bank.
The judge held
that the report of the police investigation into the alleged N7bn fraud
exonerated the claimant.
Shogbola advised
the bank not to rubbish its workers on mere suspicion, stressing that the bank
must not be misled into believing that it had the power of life and death over
its workers.
The judge held,
“The investigation of the coordinated fraud of N7bn was reported to the Nigeria
Police for investigation. The fraud was investigated and the police came up
with a report, exonerating the claimant from any guilt.
“While it is
appreciated that the defendant cannot be denied the right to investigate the
N7bn fraud which they claimed was stolen, caution must, however, be taken not
to rubbish every staff member of the bank on mere suspicion.
“The defendant
must not be misled that it has the power of life and death over his employees
by his counsel.
“The claimant is
therefore entitled to his salary from August 6, 2010 to March 8, 2013, as he
was still in the employment of the defendant. The disciplinary committee
concluded the investigation since June 14, 2010 and recommended the claimant’s
appointment be terminated.”
Shogbola also put
on the bank N200,000 as the cost the plaintiff expended in instituting the
legal action.
The plaintiff had,
through his counsel, Mr. Mohammed Lukman, approached the NIC to challenge his
sacking. He also prayed for an order of the court compelling Zenith Bank to pay
him all his outstanding salaries from August 10, 2010 to March 18, 2013 when
his appointment was terminated.
A copy of the
judgment delivered on February 16, 2015, but obtained on Sunday revealed that
Ibrahim was suspended from work on August 6, 2010 and his appointment
terminated in March 2013 without salary.
In his judgement
in the suit, NIC/ABJ/266/2003, Shogbola directed Zenith Bank to pay Lawal
N30.6m being his total salary from August 6, 2010 to March 2013 when his
appointment was terminated.
The judge also
directed the bank to pay additional allowances and interest at the prevailing
rate when the claimants was wrongfully sacked.
The court also
awarded to the claimant a month’s salary in lieu of notice, as his appointment
was terminated without adherence to the terms of the contractual agreement, requiring
either party to give a month notice before terminating the appointment.
Court awards N42m to employee for wrongful sacking
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, March 09, 2015
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