ABUJA – The National Industrial Court (NIC) on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Mr Cyril Ajuebor and declared his dismissal by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) as unlawful.
The Judge, Justice Oluseun Shogbola, in her judgment, in held that Ajuebor’s dismissal in 2003 was unlawful because NTDC did not follow due process.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case was first instituted in a Federal High Court, Abuja, before its transfer to the NIC.
Shogbola held that the NTDC did not give the claimant fair hearing, adding that there was a violation of his right to fair hearing by the NTDC.
She held that the Industrial Act of 2006 stipulate how an organisation could dismiss and confirmed staff.
“Before any staff can be dismissed he/she must have been granted fair hearing from the disciplinary committee or panel set by the organisation for the purpose of settling the matter.’’
This process, the court held, was denied the claimant.
Ajuebor’s Counsel Chuka Iloeje told NAN that he was happy with the judgment because his client had suffered untold hardship since his dismissal in 2003.
“My client has really suffered; you can imagine what he has gone through since 2003 till date without a job.
“He was dismissed for no fault of his. The company’s generator was vandalised on the day my client was off duty.
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“When he resumed, he was issued a query, which he responded to and a disciplinary committee was set.
“He was never invited for hearing and he was issued with a dismissal letter,” he said.
The counsel declined comments on the judgment (NAN)