NAN-H-115
Exhibits
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Jan. 11, 2017 (NAN) No fewer than 373 exhibits were on Wednesday admitted in evidence by the National Industrial Court sitting in Ibadan in a suit filed by former casual workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) over unpaid entitlement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 384 casual workers of the defunct PHCN had filed a suit against the company and Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) over non-payment of their salaries and entitlements in July, 2014.
Counsel to the claimants, Mr Ahmed Tarfa, through his witness, Mr Rashid Oshodi, tendered the documents which were admitted as exhibits by the court.
Tarfa relied on the exhibits as defence of the claims in the case and urged the court to grant the prayer of the claimants.
Justice Firstina Kola-Olalere admitted the documents as exhibits and adjourned cross examination by the counsel to BPE, Mr Ogala Osoka, till March 9.
NAN reports that the representative of the defunct PHCN was absent in court and was also not represented by a counsel.
NAN also reports that the court was filled to capacity by the former PHCN workers.
It would be recalled that Tarfa had earlier told the court that his clients were employed as contract and casual staff as well as corporate guards by PHCN prior to its privatisation.
He said that they had complied with the BPE’s directive to regularise and re-designate casual or contract status to permanent staff status by Dec. 31, 2009.
Tarfa also said that the claimants were entitled to the payment of their salaries, severance packages, gratuities, pension and other entitlements as regularised staff of the PHCN.
He urged the court to direct the defendants to pay the claimants all the entitlements due to them. (NAN)
SYS/HAS/OJO
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(Edited By Hajia Sani/Mufutau Ojo)