NIGERIAN MINISTER DRAGGED TO COURT OVER AIDES UNPAID SALARIES
The 1st plaintiff, Olubodun, in his suit reference number NICN/Abj/132/2019, is seeking to recover N9.8 Million from HIS former boss, being his salaries and allowances for 24 months, arguing that the Federal Government paid the money to the Minister alongside his salaries.
Penpushing further reports that, the second plaintiff, Oluwadamilare in his own suit, numbered NICN/Abj/133/2019, is claiming N11.7million, being his alleged outstanding salaries and allowances for 28 months.
The former aides of the Minister are seeking a declaration of the Court that the non-payment of full salaries and allowances for those periods was wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional, and prayed the court to order the Minister to pay them according to the Federal Government directive for payment of aides to the Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Penpushing also reports that, the ex-aides are asking for an order on the defendant to pay N50million to each of them and to also pay them their full taxed costs of the prosecution of the suits, adding that by their letters of appointments as PA and SA respectively, they were informed that their monthly emolument would be in line with the existing practice for paying PA and SA to Hon. Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The plaintiffs observed that the above-stated fact was indicated in the ‘paragraph 3′ of their letters of appointments dated 23rd Nov. 2015, stating that the defendant “tried to make the salaries and allowances of PA and SA to Hon. Minister to look like his own personal affairs’.
Penpushing reports the duo of Olubodun and Oluwadamil indicated this in an Internal Memo, seven months after their appointments appointments” ,while the first plaintiff claimed to have received just N1m all through his period of service from the Minister, the 2nd plaintiff explained that he was paid thrice to the tune of N2.3million in his 28 months of service under the Minister.
The plaintiffs in the suit also argued that a circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) dated July 27, 1999, indicated in paragraph 1a that the salaries of PAs and SAs to the Ministers are Grade Levels 12 and 16, step 4 respectively.
Penpushing further reports that, the plaintiffs also accused the Minister of applying “intimidation, harassment, draconian and Machiavellian approach” and threats to take them to court, to ensure they are frustrated, adding that they had been subjected to sufferings, ridicule, and untold hardship as a result of the denial of their rights by the Minister.
Meanwhile, the case in which the two plaintiffs presented 35 and 40 statements of facts, respectively is yet to be allocated date for hearing as at the time of filing this reports, while efforts to reach the Minister were abortive.
