*Pix above(r-l): CBN Governor, Dr Yemi Cardoso and PBAT
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been dragged to National Industrial Court (NIC) by over 100 of its staff that were recently sacked under the bank’s re-organisation strategy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, demanding payment for general damages and entitlements, among others.
Over 100 suits have so far been filed by the sacked staff of the apex bank challenging their abrupt and unjust termination of services while still having some years to go.
Lead Counsel to some of the affected staff, Mr. Ola Olanipekun (SAN), at the weekend, made the court documents available to journalists in Jos.
He said his claimants approached the court to enforce their right to fair hearing as workers who have been unjustly sacked by CBN.
He explained that the unlawful action of the apex bank has caused monumental damages to his clients running into hundreds of millions of Naira, adding that they are praying the court to ensure that the defendant pays all the claimants their monthly salaries, allowances and other emoluments/entitlements.
Olanipekun noted that one of his clients who still has nine years of service left with the Bank would have earned his required payments – a sum of N1,621,455.70 monthly if his employment had not been unlawfully terminated, as evidenced by his salary payment, and such other monies in that regards as his current or subsequent promotion position/grades would be entitled.
He is praying the order of the court to ensure that the defendant shall pay forthwith all monthly salaries and allowances that the claimant would have earned in the course of his service/employment, being the sum of N178, 360,127.00 or such other sums in that regard, from the effective date of unlawful termination of his appointment up and until his due date of lawful retirement on 4th August, 2033.
Thesenior counsel said that the claimant is also praying the court to ensure that the sum of N100,000,000 million is paid to him as General Damages against the defendant, for wrongful termination of his contract of employment.
Meanwhile, the sum of N30,000,000.00 as the cost of litigation/prosecuting the suit is also demanded from the defendant with 21 per cent post judgment interest, per annum, on all judgment sums awarded, from the date of judgment until the entire judgment sum is wholly defrayed/liquidated as well as further orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of the case.
Olanipekun explained that the Originating Summons dated 22 August, 2024 is supported by a 27-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the Claimant himself.
The Central Bank of Nigeria had sacked over 200 of its staff in May, 2024 through a letter titled, ‘Re-organisation’ of the CBN’, and that has unsettled the affected staff who are now demanding for entitlements and payment for general damages.(agency)/ ###
