Alleged sack: Court fixes final address Oct, 17, reserves judgment Dec. 8
NAN-H-69
Addresses
By Doris Esa
Abuja,Oct.13, 2016 (NAN) A former member of staff of Zenith Bank Plc, Tom Okpe, and parties in the suit will adopt their final written addresses at the National Industrial Court on Oct.17.
Okpe sued Zenith Bank and joined Zenith Securities ltd and and Peoples Plus management Service limited as co-respondents in the matter.
The Claimant is challenging his purported dismissal by the Zenith Securities limited, a subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc.
The judge, Justice Peter Lifu, who adjourned the suit, also said that judgment would be delivered on Dec. 8.
Lifu said that the adjournment would enable parties to file an addendum to their addresses on the issue of defamation raised by the claimant.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Counsel to the claimant, Mrs Lillian Ojima, told the court that her client was not given fair hearing before the purported termination.
Ojima argued that fair hearing was very crucial when there was allegation of fraud allegedly committed by her client.
She said the claimant was a clearance officer with Zenith Securities Limited before he was allegedly relieved of his services in 2009.
The claimant’s counsel said that respondents were bound to give him an opportunity to hear him, pointing out that the right of the claimant was breached when he was denied fair hearing.
Ojima told the court that her client was transferred to Peoples Plus Management limited without informing him of the said transfer.
She said that all the respondents did was just paste a notice on the board that his appointment was transferred to another place.
Ojima urged the court to enter judgment in favour of the claimant, adding that “Okpe has not only been wronged but scandalised by the Zenith Bank”.
In his argument, Counsel to the respondent, Mr Felix Kachi, told the court that a disciplinary committee was set up by the respondent before the decision to terminate Okpe’ s appointment was taken.
Kachi argued that the claimant could not claim that he was not given fair hearing when he had failed to avail the court with the contract of service between him and the respondents.
He urged the court to dismiss the claimant’s case in its entirety.(NAN)
ORD/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha