An Industrial Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned for hearing in a suit against the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Emohua Local Government and Chairman Emohua Local Government Council, Chidi Llyod, filed by nineteen aggrieved Emohua LGA staff unlawfully affected by demotion/downgrading of employment grade level and slashing/non-payment of salaries.
The Claimants had approached the Court for judicial interpretation of section 17 sub 3 (A) (B) (C) (D) section 7 sub (5) fourth schedule of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria and section 44 sub (1) section 48 sub (1) (2) of Rivers State Local Government Law Number 5 of 2018.
The Claimants are seeking an order of the court on the Defendants to within seven days of judgement release in full the withheld and unpaid salaries of claimants.
An order to determine whether those held in full or by way of the deduction are applicable to any of the Claimants’ cases whose salaries are withheld in part or in full and particularly those affected by the Defendants’ unlawful demotion/downgrading of employment grade level.
When the matter came up for mention, Counsel representing the Claimants, Kingdom Chukwuezi, notified the court that they have served the originating summons on parties in the matter, but are yet to get responses.
Counsel representing 1st and 2nd Defendants, the Emobua local government Council and Emohua Council Chairman Chidi Llyod, confirmed before the court that they have received the processes, but asked the court for more time to enable them to file their processes.
Justice Nelson Ogbuanya after listening to submissions of Counsels in the matter adjourned the case to 12 July 2022, for hearing.
In an interview with our correspondent, Winston Madume Counsel representing the 1st and 2nd Defendants said before the next adjourned date, they will do the needful.
On his part, Kingdom Chukwuezi, Claimants’ Counsel, said they are asking for the staff reinstatement, payments of their usual salaries before it was slashed or reviewed downwards and for the Defendants to pay one million nairas to each of the Claimants for the embarrassment, trauma and inconvenience caused in stopping their salaries
