…says ‘frustration has turned me to a tricycle rider’
- He’s the architect of his woes – Redeemed Church
A former staff of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mr. Peters Etederhi, has filed a N20 million suit against the church, alleging unlawful termination of his appointment.
Etederhi, who holds a Master’s degree in Logistics and Transport Management, is praying the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division, to rule that the termination of his employment with the transport department of the RCCG on June 12, 2015, was illegal, unlawful and absolutely contrary to the terms of agreement between him and the church.
In the suit, filed on his behalf by his counsel, Barrister Folorunso Ogunekun, the claimant averred that he was abruptly sacked by the RCCG in 2015 over an accusation of absconding from duty, without being given the right to defend himself, contrary to the terms of agreement guiding a job he undertook for over 12 years.
He particularly cited RCCG’s condition of service guiding his employment, which states, “An employee, who is alleged to have committed an offence, shall have the right to make a written defence against the allegations” and that, “such written defence shall be submitted to the head of department/pastor-in-charge of Province, through the pastor in charge of Area or head of unit within the period stipulated in the query.”
He lamented in his statement of claims that despite the fact that he was unjustly booted out, his entitlements were not paid until his solicitor wrote to the authorities of the church, which eventually paid him the money last year.
But Etederhi is dissatisfied, noting that a lot of things had gone wrong with his life before the defendant was pressured to pay him about N155,000 as severance benefits and final settlement.
He said while out of job, he could not pay the school fees of his three children, thus forcing them to stay at home for a year. Besides, he said he could not sustain his family and that he was ejected from his apartment in Ketu, Lagos, as he could not pay the rent.
Etederhi said, owing to frustration and penury arising from his sack, two months ago, he became a tricycle rider, plying the route between Alapere and Mile 12 in Lagos. He, therefore, prayed the court to award him N20 million as damages, to compensate for his ordeal.
But in their defence, the authorities of the RCCG said Etederhi “did not suffer any injury in any way, directly or indirectly, through psychological trauma from the Church, in view of the fact that he was the architect of his woes, through absconding from his duty and the use of a solicitor who was very erratic to the management.”
In a statement of defence by its counsel, Miss Busola Ogunyode, the RCCG accused Etederhi of absconding from work by “running an illegal educational programme at the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, during the time he should be on his duty post.”
It added that Etederhi absconded from duty for many days without a letter of authority from the Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Administration and Personnel, or his head of department.
The RCCG contended that it had made final and full payment of entitlements due to Etederhi and that it was not obliged to pay him pension, as his pension benefits had been lodged with the plaintiff’s pension
administrator.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Benedict Kanyip, at the hearing of the suit, adjourned it to July 11, 2018, when it is hoped that the parties would have resolved on an out-of-court settlement.
