THE National Industrial Court, Abuja, has ordered Global International College to pay an ex-staff, Mr Obioha Kelvin, N2.4million within 21 days.

The payment as ordered by the judge, Justice Kiyersohot Damulak, in his judgment, was for N1.25 million being the monthly deductions from the claimant’s salary from Jan. 2016 to Jan. 2018.

Damulak also ordered the payment of N354,000, representing the claimant’s salary for February and March, 2018 at the rate of N177,000 per month.

The judge further directed the defendant to pay the claimant the sum of N805,000, representing his pension contributions calculated at N23,000 per month from May, 2015 to March, 2018, which the defendant never remitted to his pension fund administrator.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kelvin was employed by the school, (defendant) in May, 2015.

He worked in the organisation until March,2018, when he resigned.

The claimant had approached the court to seek redress after his resignation, claiming that his salary from the month of Jan. 2016 to Jan.2018 was constantly deducted.

Kelvin also said after his resignation, he attempted to access part of his pension contributions, only to discover that the monthly deductions were never remitted by the defendant.

According to the judge, the issue was whether the claimant had sufficiently proven his case to be entitled to the claims he sought.

Damulak held that evidence before the court showed that the defendant never filed any processes, nor showed up in court except on one occasion and therefore the claimant was allowed to prove his case in the absence of the defendant.

The judge further declared that the claimant had proven his case and that his case succeeded to the extent of what was reasonably credible.

He equally ordered that the judgment should be complied with within 21 days after which the judgment sum will attract 10 per cent interest per annum.

Mr Victor Uma, the claimant’s counsel, had submitted that his client upon resumption of duty was paid N177,000 as against the N200,000 that was agreed by both parties.

Uma averred that the claimant was told that the deduction of N23,000 was for his pension contribution and tax.

The counsel added that further down the line, an additional N50,000 was on a monthly basis deducted from the claimant’s salary and no reason was ever given for the deductions.

Uma said from January until March, 2018 when the claimant resigned, the defendant did not pay him any salary.

Also joined in the suit as a co-defendant was Abolaji Osime, the director of the school. (NAN)

– Apr. 2, 2019 @ 13:21 GMT |