A Kogi State High Court sitting in Okene, yesterday, ordered the state government to reinstate about 346 workers sacked following a screening in 2009 and pay them their entitlements.
In the judgement, Justice Sunday Oto, gave the directive also said the workers were irregularly sacked.
The 346 workers had in 2009 dragged the government to court for omitting their names during direct payment of salary by the Sally Tibot led-screening committee, leading to their eventual sack from the state civil service and asked the court to declare action null and void and order their reinstatement as well as payment of their entitlements.
Counsel to the affected workers, John Uchechukwu, stated during the hearing that laid down procedures for their sack were not followed, hence they should be reinstated.
In his judgement, Justice Oto held that the plaintiffs’ contract of service were binding on their employer, which he said failed to either give them a month’s notice in writing or pay them them one month’s salary in lieu before termination of appointment.
”By virtue of letter of appointment, confirmation and promotion, the claimants are bonafide and lawful civil servants of Kogi State and they should be treated like others. Their entitlements, salaries and allowances commencing from the date they were stopped till date should be paid,” he said.
He however declared that only the workers whose appointment letters were tendered in court would benefit from the court order.
