Court of Appeal reinstates sacked CBN staff members, a decade after

The Court of Appeal has ordered the reinstatement of three sacked staff members of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, ten years after they were wrongfully disengaged.

The three staff members of the bank were Akagwu Audi Yakubu, Idris Auwal, Daciyal Longji David.

They were ordered reinstated to their jobs with their full salaries paid.

Besides, the court also awarded against the CBN the cost of N1 million as damages for the Appellants.

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The Claimants’ employments were terminated in 2015 under the guise of “service no longer required”.

Dissatisfied with the decision of the bank, the claimants engaged the law firm of Falana and Falana’s chambers who filed a complaint before the National Industrial Court seeking the following reliefs:

● A declaration that the purported termination of the Claimants appointments with the Defendant is illegal and irregular as it violates the Central Bank of Nigeria Act Cap. C4 LFN 2004 and Paragraph 16.5 the Human Resources Policies and procedures of the Defendant.

● An order of this Honourable Court reinstating the Claimants to their respective employment with the Defendant and with immediate effect.

● An order directing the Defendant to pay to the Claimants all accrued salaries. Benefits and allowances that are due to the Claimant since their appointments were irregularly terminated by the Defendant.

● An order directing the Defendant to pay each of the Claimants the sum of N10, 000, 000. 00 (Ten Million Naira) only as general damages.

However, the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja presided by Honourable Justice B.A. Adejumo (retired) in a judgement delivered on the 17th of October, 2018 gave judgement in favour of the CBN.

Dissatisfied with the judgement of the National Industrial Court, the claimant appealed to the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

In its judgement delivered recently, the appellate court set aside the judgement of the Industrial Court and ordered the reinstatement of the aggrieved staff members to the apex bank.

The court of appeal further declared the termination of the claimants’ employments as illegal and ordered their immediate reinstatement inter alia:

“Consequently, this appeal has merit and is accordingly allowed. The judgment of the National Industrial Court in suit No: NICN/ABJ/119/2015 DELIVERED ON THE 17/10/2018 by Honourable Justice B.A. Adejumo, OFR is hereby set aside.

“It is hereby ordered that the Appellants be reinstated back to their respective employment with the Respondent and with immediate effect.

“The Respondent shall pay to the claimants all accrued salaries, benefits and allowances that are due to the Claimants since their appointments were irregularly terminated by the Respondent._

The Cost of N1, 000, 000. 00 is also awarded against the Respondent.

By this judgement, it is no longer fashionable for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to terminate the appointment of its employees on the grounds of “services no longer required.”