The National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt has ruled in favor of an aggrieved former employee of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Bright Nwosu, ordering the company and three others to pay him a total of N52,456,000 million over wrongful termination of his employment.
Bright Nwosu, who worked as a Sales Executive at Guinness Nigeria Plc starting in 2004, filed a lawsuit against the company in 2019 after being wrongfully dismissed.
The court, presided over by Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, determined that Guinness Nigeria Plc had erred in terminating Nwosu’s employment without justification. The evidence presented in court indicated that Nwosu had been diligent in his duties prior to his dismissal.
The court specifically deemed Guinness’s employees’ handbook stipulation that employees can be terminated without providing a reason for the termination to be unacceptable.
As a result, the court ordered Guinness to pay Nwosu N19 million and N886,000 for his terminal benefit and gratuity, as he had worked for 15 years before his termination.
In addition, Guinness was ordered to pay Nwosu his two months of unpaid salaries in lieu of notice, amounting to N570,000.
Furthermore, the court ordered Guinness to pay Nwosu N30 million as damages for the unfair labor practices he endured and an additional N2 million as the cost of litigation.
The judge clarified that all the monetary awards in favor of the claimant must be paid within two months from the date of the judgment’s delivery, with any delay in payment incurring a 10 percent annual interest until the full amount is settled.
Counsel for the claimant, Cletus Azunku, commended the court’s judgment, stating that it would serve as a deterrent to employers who mistreat their employees.
On the other hand, counsel for the defendants declined to comment on the matter, stating that he was not authorized to speak to the press.