Court to hear NMC suspended staff member's suit, June 14

The National Industrial Court on Wednesday fixed June 14 to take pending applications in a suit filed by a suspended staff member of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Dr. Gregory Obayomi, against the Center.

When the matter slated for hearing pending applications came up before Justice Olufunke Anuwe, the claimant’s counsel announced his appearance and informed the court that there was no legal representation for the defendants.

The court, for its part, said that there was a letter from the defense counsel notifying the court about his absence and suggesting other dates.

This, the court explained, was a result of the court’s inability to sit on May 4 as the judge was away on another official engagement.

This development, according to the court, caused the court to move the cases from May 4 to May 31.

The date, however, in the defense counsel’s letter to the court was not convenient for him as he had other prior matters fixed for the same date.

The court therefore suggested to the claimant’s counsel that they take one of the dates suggested by the defense counsel.

The court, in turn, adjourned the matter until June 14 for the hearing of all pending applications.

From the facts, the claimant, Obayomi, had dragged the NMC, Governing Council, Director/Chief Executive, and the acting Registrar of the Center as defendants to court.

The claimant instituted the suit in June 2022 over alleged dissatisfaction with the process and procedures adopted by the defendants in the appointment process of a new registrar for the center.

In his court processes, Obayomi termed the defendants' “unjust, non-transparent, and biased disposition” in handling the 2022 Registrar’s appointment process "unjust, non-transparent, and biased.

The NMC management, however, suspended the claimant and stopped his salary in August 2022.

The defendants had alleged that the claimant was suspended as a result of his failure to explore all internal dispute resolution mechanisms as stipulated by the terms and conditions governing the center.

The court had earlier directed all parties in the suit in its ruling on July 14, 2022, to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

The court also, in another ruling on December 13, 2022, ordered that the claimant be reinstated to his duty post from the purported suspension from duty.

In the ruling, Anuwe said, “In the circumstances of the suspension of the claimant from duty, I find good reason in this application to set aside the said suspension of the claimant, which was done while the suit and motion on notice were pending. I so order.

”Consequently, pending the determination of this suit, the defendants are restrained from instituting any disciplinary proceedings against the claimant or tempering with the claimant’s appointment, emoluments, or promotion”, the court ruled.

Failure of the defendants to comply with the orders of the court saw the claimant file proceedings for committal to prison against the defendants.

The defendants, for their part, have filed counterprocesses to the committal to prison proceedings.

These applications form part of the pending applications to be taken by the court on the next adjourned date of June 14