Settlement
By Martins Odeh
Abuja, Aug.10, 2018 (NAN) The ongoing talks between the former Abuja Liaison Office Manager of the Oil And Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) Mr Funmilayo Omosule and the agency for his recall has collapsed.
Omosule disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview on Friday in Abuja.
He said the terms presented to him by the authority were nowhere close to the expected benchmark.
According to him, the two legal teams representing the parties have failed to make any appreciable inroad.
“I was wrongfully suspended from the authority without pay for more than seven years now. I have been left behind in promotion, as my contemporaries are now in grade levels 16 and 17 respectively.
“The agency is insisting on reverting me back to be old position and not willing to pay my full entitlement held for seven years.
“I have shown stupendous understanding in line with the advice of the court.
“ After all, the authority has agreed that I was wrongfully suspended, so they should do the right thing by absorbing me and paying me my full entitlement.
“Due to the authority’s hard line posture of not willing to do the right thing, I am now prepared to go back to the court for the matter to be legally decided’’, Omosule said.
Omosule, had in 2011 dragged OGFZA to the National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja to compel the authority to reverse his suspension.
Omosule had also asked the court to compel the defendant to pay him all his outstanding salaries and allowances within the years he was wrongful suspended.
He further sought the court’s order to mandate OGFZA to appropriately place him on the grade level his contemporaries would be after his resumption.
However, in the bid to entrench peace, fair play and justice, both parties had on May 26 agreed to resolve the dispute out of court leading the court to adjourn the matter until July 10.
However, during the July 10 hearing parties informed the court that the terms of settlement were yet to be fully agreed upon.
Mr Joseph Tobi, Counsel to Omosule had told the presiding judge, justice Amos Anuwe that there were grey areas that needed to be resolved.
The judge had urged parties to face realities and put their houses in order in the interest of justice and fair play.
The judge informed them that the new practice direction in the court gave preference to out-of-court settlement, as according him, such a step promotes industrial peace and harmony.
Anuwe then adjourned the matter until Oct. 10 for parties to report back the progress of the out-of-court settlement.
The authority had in a letter dated April 18, 2011 suspended Omosule on grounds that he refused to present the originals of his educational certificates/credentials for verification in Dec. 3, 2010.
Omosule, however, refuted the claim of the authority, stating rather that he made available and forwarded to the defendant Certified True Copies (CTC) of his educational certificates and credentials as instructed.
He said the original of his certificate which included GCE ‘O’ Levels and degree certificates were misplaced in untraceable circumstances as at 2010.
The claimant (Omosule) said the C-T-C of his certificates submitted to the defendant (OGFZA) was certified by West African Examination Council and the University of Ado-Ekiti formally known as Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti respectively.
NAN reports that Mr Paul Erokoro (SAN) Counsel to OGFZA on behalf of his client on May 26 finally agreed to settle the matter out of court. (NAN)
OMO/SH
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edited by Sadiya Hamza