Absence of judge stalls hearing in N50m damages suit against OGFZAA

The absence of Justice Olufunke Anuwe of the National Industrial Court, Abuja on Thursday stalled hearing in a suit filed by a suspended staff member of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority Administration (OGFZAA), Mr Funmilayo Omosule.
The matter which was slated for hearing, could not go on as the court informed parties that the judge was indisposed.
Counsel were therefore given a new date of March 10, for hearing.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the claimant is asking for N50 million as exemplary and general damages, following the collapse in negotiation for out-of-court settlement.
Both OGFZAA and Omosule had been locked in a legal battle to resolve the legality or otherwise of the plaintiff’s suspension, following his petition against some management staff of the agency on alleged corruption.
Omosule had alleged that OGFZAA, through a letter dated April 18, 2011, suspended him as the manager of its Abuja office, on the grounds that he refused to comply with its letter dated Dec. 3, 2010, which had directed him to present the originals of his credentials for verification.
Omosule, however, refuted the claim of the authority, stating rather that he made available to the defendant, Certified True Copies (CTCs) of his educational certificates /credentials, including GCE ‘O Level certificates and degree certificates as instructed.
Omosule claimed that the originals of his credentials were misplaced in untraceable circumstances as at 2010 when the report to submit originals was made.
The claimant also averred that the CTCs of his certificates submitted to the defendant were certified by the issuing institutions, which included West African Examination Council and the University of Ado-Ekiti, then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti respectively.
The claimant, therefore, seeks the court’s declaration that he was still a staff of the organisation and entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits due to him by reason of his employment.
He also praying the court for an order directing the defendant to reinstate him to the position of a director, on grade level 17, a position he claimed his contemporaries were currently.
Omosule, equally sought the order of the court to direct the defendant to pay all his outstanding salaries, benefits, and entitlement since 2011.
She also asked the court to order the defendant to pay him the sum of N50 million as exemplary and general damages. (NAN)