Sacked CBN workers challenge their disengagement in court

CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso

Sacked CBN workers challenge their disengagement in court

Some officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria whose appointments were terminated in March this year under the leadership of the Governor, Yemi Cardoso, have dragged the apex bank to the National Industrial Court.

The ex-CBN officials, through their lawyers Isa Mohammed and Associates, are challenging the legality of their termination of appointment and demanding that the court reinstate them as their sacking was not done in line with the Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual of the CBN.

Newstrends had in May this year reported that fourteen directors of the apex bank and over 300 other officials of the CBN were sacked by the bank.

The sacking brought the list of those so far disengaged from the bank under the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso to over 500.

The mass sacking cuts across 29 departments, affecting all cadres from directors to deputy directors, assistant directors, principal managers, senior managers and lower-ranking staff like executive trainees.

Most of the members of staff affected were branch operations officials across the 36 branches in the 36 states of the federation and the headquarters in FCT.

Some of those who were earlier transferred from the headquarters to the branches were affected by the latest action, as they received their disengagement letters through emails.

A sample of the termination letter read, “In line with our new mission and vision, the Bank is currently undergoing a significant organizational and human capital restructuring process.

“As a result of this review, I have been directed to notify you that your services will not be required with effect from Friday, 24th May 2024. Your final entitlements will be calculated and paid to you in due course.”

But in the court affidavit dated October 21, 2024, which was obtained by THE WHISTLER, the workers claimed that they were unjustly sacked at a time when some of them had about seven years to their retirement date.

Part of the affidavit reads, “That it is the case of the claimants/applicants that the Unlawful termination of their appointment was not done for the alleged high-sounding phrase” on the grounds of reorganization and human capital restructuring.”

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“That the Claimants/Applicants state that the defendant/respondent has advertised the position of Directors skewed in such a way that all the Positions of Directors of the various Departments the Claimants/Applicants were heading as Directors, having late 2023 moved them to the FSS2020, a waiting point created by the Management of the Defendant/Respondent, for possible recruitment, even when the matter of unlawful termination of the Claimants/Applicant from the employ of the defendant/respondent is in Court and yet to be determined.

“That the claimants’/Applicants state that the letters issued to them on the 15th of March, 2024 by which the defendant/Respondent determined/terminated their employment was done contrary to the conditions of service.

“That the Claimants/Applicants state that their respective letters of employment specifically stated that their employment is subject to the conditions of service in force in the defendant/respondent from time to time. That the claimants/applicants state that payment in lieu of notice can only be paid to them on termination/determination of appointment after full.”

The Claimants/Applicants’ also stated through their counsel that they were discriminated against by the Defendant/Respondent, denied a fair hearing and were never queried for any act of misconduct by the Defendant before the determination of their respective appointments.

In the court document, the ex-CBN staff members also claimed that the action of the apex bank in advertising the vacancies of Directors, even when the matter is in Court, is an act of witch-hunt, which was done in bad faith and total disregard for its conditions of service and the Rule of Law.

Part of the court document reads, “The Claimants/Applicants’ states that the action of the Defendant/Respondent in advertising the vacancies of Directors, even when the matter is in Court, is an act of witch-hunt, which was done in bad faith and total disregard of its conditions of service and the Rule of Law.

“The Claimants/Applicants state that the Conditions of Service guarantee that in all cases of discipline, the relevant disciplinary Committee shall give a staff member against whom an allegation is made the opportunity to defend herself/himself.

“Sequel to the facts above, the Claimants/Applicants have initiated an action through their lawyers by way of a concurrent writ against the defendants seeking for reliefs as contained on the main suit.

“Unless the defendant is restrained by this Honorable court, it will destroy the subject matter of this suit and that will render the subject matter nugatory. Unless this application is granted, the claimants/Applicants will suffer further serious and grievous injustice.”