In a landmark judgment, the Enugu Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria has nullified the alleged termination of Dr. Okoro from Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. The ruling was delivered by Hon. Justice Oluwakayode Arowosegbe, concerning a termination letter dated 16th December 2019.
The Court ordered the immediate reinstatement of Dr. Okoro and directed the Hospital to pay all his salaries, benefits, and entitlements from March 2019—the date his salary was abruptly stopped—at a rate of N375,089.23 per month until the judgment is fully executed.
Justice Arowosegbe also awarded Dr. Okoro N1,000,000 in general damages for the psychological and physical strain caused by the unjust stoppage of his salary, as well as an additional N1,000,000 as cost of action.
Dr. Okoro had testified that his appointment was terminated without being notified of any misconduct or given the opportunity to respond. He further claimed that a committee investigating him was illegally constituted under the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards, etc.) Act, and his attempts to clarify the reason for the salary stoppage were futile.
In defense, Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital and two others argued that Dr. Okoro was terminated for absconding from duty and that he had received a fair hearing. They maintained that the SSDC committee, which investigated the matter, was properly constituted.
However, Dr. Okoro countered that he never absconded, and that the committee proceedings were flawed, with no official minutes recorded and the presence of DSS officials making it improperly constituted.
In delivering judgment, Justice Arowosegbe concluded that there was no evidence Dr. Okoro had been informed of any alleged misconduct. The Court noted that while his salary was stopped in March 2019, he was only issued a vague query in June, without being told the specific allegations against him—clearly showing the defendants had no genuine case.
The Court further found that the claims of absenteeism and misconduct were unproven, and that halting Dr. Okoro’s salary violated international best practices in labor relations and constitutional rights to life, dignity, and property. Justice Arowosegbe emphasized that Dr. Okoro’s salary was stopped arbitrarily long before his termination, without suspension or interdiction, underscoring the unlawful nature of the Hospital’s actions.
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