By Glory Abuh-Adejoh
ABUJA – The National Industrial Court has fixed Sept. 26, to hear a suit filed by a suspended staff of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGZA), Mr Funmilayo Omosule. Mr. Omosule is claiming N50 million as exemplary and general damages.
At the resumed sitting on Monday which was slated for mention, Justice Olufunke Anuwe, fixed the date after the claimant’s counsel Mr Mukhtar Usman, informed the court that he was yet to file notice of change of counsel.
The absence of the claimant in court also informed the court’s decision for the long adjournment.
The judge said at the last adjourned date of February 27, she specifically directed the counsel who showed up as the claimant’s counsel to file notice of change of counsel as he was different from the two counsel that appeared in the matter previously.
Anuwe also gave the instruction that the claimant must be present in court for Monday’s proceeding in order to clarify the issue of who was his real counsel.
The counsel, on his part, said that the claimant could not be in court as he was away for medical treatment in the United Kingdom (UK).
He equally reiterated that he wanted to file his notice of change of counsel earlier, but that the court registry informed him that the rule of the court forbade filing of processes on the day the matter would be coming up.
Anuwe, therefore, adjourned the matter until September for hearing and directed that hearing notice should be served on the defendant who was absent and was neither represented.
She also ordered that the claimant must be present on that day for the determination of his counsel.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the claimant (Omosule), in his statement of facts, stated that he was a manager on Grade 12 with the defendant before he was allegedly suspended sometime in 2011 based on allegation of falsification of documents.
He therefore seeks the court’s declaration that he was still a staff of the organisation and entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits due to him by reason of his employment.
Omosule is also seeking an order of the court directing the defendant to reinstate him to the position of a director, on Grade Level 17, a position he claimed his contemporaries were currently on.
The claimant is equally seeking for the order of the court to direct the defendant to pay all his outstanding salaries, benefits and entitlement since 2011
In addition, he is asking for the sum of N50 million as exemplary and general damages for emotional, psychological trauma, inconvenience and hardship among others. (NAN)