BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has ordered the Federal Road Safety Corps to reinstate Ofeh Ejike-Ikpor, a dismissed personnel with immediate effect.
The court added that the sacked personnel should resume duty with arrears of salaries, allowances and privileges fully paid.
Justice Oluwakayode Arowosegbe ordered the Corps Marshall and the FRSC, being first and second defendants in the suit marked NICN/ABK/04/2014 to pay their employee the sum of N5 million damages for unlawfully terminating his appointment since 2012 among others.
Ejike-Ikpor was indicted for alleged involvement in recruitment scam, collection of bribe for issuance of driving licence, forgery and issuing FRSC employment letters.
He was consequently probed by a disciplinary panel set up by the Commission in 2012 but was reportedly vindicated. However, a fresh panel was inaugurated and he was found guilty. This led to the termination of his appointment.
The embattled employee approached the Industrial Court to seek redress on the ground that the panel did not give him time to prepare for his defence and that judgement was delivered in his absence.
He added that the termination of his appointment was based on malice and strain relationship between him and the Zonal Commander of the Commission.
Ejike-Ikpor, insisting that the termination of his appointment was not done in accordance with the FRSC regulations, expressed regret that his children’s education, reputation and future were negatively affected by the action.
He, therefore, prayed the court to declare the termination of his appointment as invalid and direct the defendants to reinstate him to his full position as an employee of FRSC.
Among other things, he sought “An order directing payment of arrears of salaries at N42, 000 (Forty two thousand naira) per month from July 2013 till date from the claimant.”
The claimant also sought an order directing the defendants to promote him to the same rank as his mates in service and pay him all entitlements and increase in salaries between July 2013 till date, as well as sum of N100,000,000 (One hundred million naira) as general damages.
Arowosegbe granted the claimant’s prayers with an order that he should be paid the sum of N5 million only.
