Aminat Ibrahim, the General Manager of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Limited(AEDC), has dragged the company to the National Industrial Court (NIC) over alleged unlawful dismissal from office.
In a suit marked NICN/ABJ/113/2022, the claimant who was said to be an award winning staff narrated how she was unjustly dismissed by the defendant without following the laid down procedure in the company’s condition of service 2011.
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The suit dated March 31, 2022, was filed by her counsel, Bello Ibrahim, who is seeking an order, setting aside the letter of dismissal issued to her client by the defendant having been generated without following due process of law and the provisions of the company’s rules and Regulation Human Resources, Corporate Services 2017 edition.
Court documents described the claimant, who was the General Manager, Regional Business Operations (FCT Central), as a “diligent staff of the defendant, who devoted all her energy to the growth and development of the defendant which earned her commendations, promotions and award from the defendant.”
Specifically, the claimant has over the years, received commendations for her commitment, turnaround of ill-performing AEDC offices including special commenation letter from the Chairman Board of Directors in 2019, Commendation letter for detecting suspicious cash receipting at Karu office, save the company on office rent cost from N25m to N4m.
In addition, her diligence and resilience zeal deployed in the discharge of her duties earned her appointment as “a Change Champion” of the defendant in April 19, 2017.
She told the Abuja division of the court that, before her unlawful dismissal, there was no complaint against her from any staff of the company and was never suspended nor interdicted, as she continued raking revenue for the defendant.
The claimant who is demanding various sums of money to the tune of over N70m from the company as her outstanding salary and other financial benefits and entitlements, is equally seeking an order setting aside the disciplinary proceedings of the defendant for failure to comply with the principles of natural justice and the defendant’s condition of service 2021.
She vehemently denied ownership of a company Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited, which her unlawful dismissal by the defendant was predicated upon.
The claimant is also seeking an order of court declaring that she has no interest or relationship with Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited, the basis of the query and her dismissal from the employment of the defendant.
An order of court mandating the defendant to issue her with a letter of voluntary retirement from the service of the defendant within seven days of the delivery of the judgment of the court.
In her 67-page statement of facts, the claimant faulted the circumstances surrounding her unlawful dismissal from the service of the defendant as follows: “that the defendant issued me a query to the effect that I am a major promoter of a company called Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited engaged in sub-vending under Kallak Power Limited, appointed as a major vendor by the defendant in the FCT central region.
“I was dumbfounded as I have no relationship or connection with Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited. I was invited to face a disciplinary panel on March 7, 2022, in respect of the allegations contained in the query issued on February 3, 2022.
“That despite the short notice, she appeared before the disciplinary paneI and defended herself. I maintained that I have no relationship with either the owners or directors of Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited.
That the proceedings of the disciplinary Committee headed by the Company Secretary ended in tete-a-tete without conclusion and there was no resolution or report either by the disciplinary committee or any member of the committee for the Board of Directors to act on.
That she was not given any document to see the basis of the allegations of ownership of Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited bandied by the defendant against her, in clear breached of her rights of fair hearing as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
In addition, the claimant averred that no document was given to her either to defend or admit the allegations even as the directors and the stakeholders of the Onamis 09 Nigeria Limited and evidence that shows their relationship with her was not disclosed to her, during and after the disciplinary proceeding.
It is also the case of the claimant that the defendant is out to tarnish her image and reputation by embarking on a campaign of calumny against her.
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