Guinness to pay ex-employee N52.456m damages, Court orders.

Bright Nwosu was awarded N52,456,000 by the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt for wrongful termination of employment against Guinness Nigeria Plc and three others.

 

Bright Nwosu, who had worked for Guinness Nigeria Plc since 2004 in the role of Sales Executive, sued the company on September 18, 2019, alleging wrongful termination.

The judge in the case number NICN/PHC/108/2019, Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, ruled that Guinness Nigeria Plc made an error in terminating Nwosu’s employment without cause, and that the evidence presented to the court showed that Nwosu had been doing a good job up until the point of his dismissal.

However, the Guinness employee handbook’s provision that employees can be terminated without providing an explicit reason for termination was ruled unconstitutional by the court.After hearing Nwosu’s case, the judge ordered Guinness to pay him N19,000,000 (eighteen million and eight hundred and eighty-six thousand Naira) in terminal benefit and gratuity for his fifteen years of service.

 

The court also ruled that Guinness must pay Nwosu N570,000 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) in back pay for the two months he worked without pay.

In addition to awarding Nwosu N30 million in damages for the unfair labour practises he endured, Justice Ogbuanya also ordered Guinness to pay the claimant (Nwosu) an additional sum of N2 million as cost of litigation.All monetary judgements in favour of the claimant must be paid within two months of judgement delivery, the judge ruled, with interest accruing at the rate of 10% per year until the debt is paid in full.

Outside the courtroom, Cletus Azunku, who represented the claimant and held A. A. Brown’s brief, praised the ruling to our correspondent.

 

He predicted it would send a message to businesses that treat their employees unfairly.

 

The judge’s decision, as Azunku put it, “serves as a deterrent to every other employer.”

 

If there is any regulation at all in the contract of employment, it must be followed to the letter. “In the classification of employment under our labour law, this falls under master-servant relationship.

 

When asked for comment, K. C. Eze, defence attorney, said he couldn’t because he wasn’t authorised to speak to the press.

Bright Nwosu was awarded N52,456,000 by the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt for wrongful termination of employment against Guinness Nigeria Plc and three others.

 

Bright Nwosu, who had worked for Guinness Nigeria Plc since 2004 in the role of Sales Executive, sued the company on September 18, 2019, alleging wrongful termination.

The judge in the case number NICN/PHC/108/2019, Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, ruled that Guinness Nigeria Plc made an error in terminating Nwosu’s employment without cause, and that the evidence presented to the court showed that Nwosu had been doing a good job up until the point of his dismissal.

However, the Guinness employee handbook’s provision that employees can be terminated without providing an explicit reason for termination was ruled unconstitutional by the court.After hearing Nwosu’s case, the judge ordered Guinness to pay him N19,000,000 (eighteen million and eight hundred and eighty-six thousand Naira) in terminal benefit and gratuity for his fifteen years of service.

 

The court also ruled that Guinness must pay Nwosu N570,000 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) in back pay for the two months he worked without pay.

In addition to awarding Nwosu N30 million in damages for the unfair labour practises he endured, Justice Ogbuanya also ordered Guinness to pay the claimant (Nwosu) an additional sum of N2 million as cost of litigation.All monetary judgements in favour of the claimant must be paid within two months of judgement delivery, the judge ruled, with interest accruing at the rate of 10% per year until the debt is paid in full.

Outside the courtroom, Cletus Azunku, who represented the claimant and held A. A. Brown’s brief, praised the ruling to our correspondent.

 

He predicted it would send a message to businesses that treat their employees unfairly.

 

The judge’s decision, as Azunku put it, “serves as a deterrent to every other employer.”

 

If there is any regulation at all in the contract of employment, it must be followed to the letter. “In the classification of employment under our labour law, this falls under master-servant relationship.

 

When asked for comment, K. C. Eze, defence attorney, said he couldn’t because he wasn’t authorised to speak to the press.

Bright Nwosu was awarded N52,456,000 by the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt for wrongful termination of employment against Guinness Nigeria Plc and three others.

 

Bright Nwosu, who had worked for Guinness Nigeria Plc since 2004 in the role of Sales Executive, sued the company on September 18, 2019, alleging wrongful termination.

The judge in the case number NICN/PHC/108/2019, Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, ruled that Guinness Nigeria Plc made an error in terminating Nwosu’s employment without cause, and that the evidence presented to the court showed that Nwosu had been doing a good job up until the point of his dismissal.

However, the Guinness employee handbook’s provision that employees can be terminated without providing an explicit reason for termination was ruled unconstitutional by the court.After hearing Nwosu’s case, the judge ordered Guinness to pay him N19,000,000 (eighteen million and eight hundred and eighty-six thousand Naira) in terminal benefit and gratuity for his fifteen years of service.

 

The court also ruled that Guinness must pay Nwosu N570,000 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) in back pay for the two months he worked without pay.

In addition to awarding Nwosu N30 million in damages for the unfair labour practises he endured, Justice Ogbuanya also ordered Guinness to pay the claimant (Nwosu) an additional sum of N2 million as cost of litigation.All monetary judgements in favour of the claimant must be paid within two months of judgement delivery, the judge ruled, with interest accruing at the rate of 10% per year until the debt is paid in full.

Outside the courtroom, Cletus Azunku, who represented the claimant and held A. A. Brown’s brief, praised the ruling to our correspondent.

 

He predicted it would send a message to businesses that treat their employees unfairly.

 

The judge’s decision, as Azunku put it, “serves as a deterrent to every other employer.”

 

If there is any regulation at all in the contract of employment, it must be followed to the letter. “In the classification of employment under our labour law, this falls under master-servant relationship.

 

When asked for comment, K. C. Eze, defence attorney, said he couldn’t because he wasn’t authorised to speak to the press.

 

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