The National Industrial Court of Nigeria , Port Harcourt division has awarded the sum of N20 million against First Bank of Nigeria as general damages for wrongful dismissal and acts of unfair labour practice against its former employee, Lovell Osahon Ehigie.
The decision followed a suit filed by the claimant marked NICN/PHC/137/2017 against the defendant, praying the court to declare that the termination and dismissal of his appointment was unlawful and illegal. The claimant said he was employed by the defendant via a letter of employment dated June 16, 1998 and served for about 29 years as at July 2017, after rising through the ranks to the position of Assistant Manager, and had been deployed at various branches of the defendant bank, where he served creditably without blemish.
But the defendant argued that the claimant’s employment was terminated because his services were no longer required and not as a result of issuance of dud cheque of which the defendant had drawn the claimant’s attention through the query and which he responded to, and that ended the issue. Arguing that the claimant suffered no hardship or damages, the defendant prayed the court to dismiss the suit with costs.
“In light of the foregoing legal prescriptions on best practice of employment and labour relations, I have taken another look at the incidents and circumstances that culminated in the exit of the claimant from his employment with the defendant.