Retired Judge drags Ogun State Government to Court over non-payment of retirement benefits

A Retired Judge, Justice Hezekiah Solanke has dragged Ogun State Government to court over alleged non-payment of his retirement benefits, after retiring from the service in February, 2017 at the age of 62 years.

Penpushing reports that, the former judge in a suit number NICN/AB/2019 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital named Ogun State Governor and Attorney General as defendants.

The claimant a resident of number 5, Equity Road, Judges Quarters, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta,   in the amended statement of facts said he was employed into the Ogun State Judiciary as a Senior Magistrate Grade 1,on the 4^th February,1992

Penpushing further reports that, Solanke said on the 1^st of July, 1996, he was promoted to the post of Chief Magistrate, and equally promoted to Chief Magistrate Grade 1, on 23^rd April, 1998, and that on the 17^th May 1999 got promoted to the post of Chief Registrar of the Ogun State Judiciary.

The claimant said via a letter dated 25^th October, 2004 was appointed a Judge of Ogun State High Court with effect from 27^th October, 2004, and was issued with certificate of appointment to that effect, and retired from the service via a letter dated 3^rd February, 2017

Penpushing also reports that, Solanke said  via a letter dated 23^rd October,2017, the 1^st defendant received the retirement letter which was received by the claimant on 6^th November, 2017, and had to written a distress letter to the 1^st defendant, following nonpayment of his pension and gratuity

‘’The claimant’s retirement from service took effect from 4^th day of May, 2017. From the 4^th day of May, 2017,to 31^st day of May 2017,the claimant is entitled to the sum of N1,185,152,39k. The reason was that three day is out of 31 days in the month of May, 2017”, the amended statement said

‘That the defendants did not pay the claimant his monthly pension from 1^st day of June, 2017 to 31^st day of January,2018, a period of 8 months which is calculated thus; N1,312,133 .00k multiply by 8 months will amount to N10,497,064,00k’, the statement added

Penpushing reports that, the retired judge, however, prayed the court that, an order directing the defendants to pay the sum of N1,185,152;39k, an order directing the defendants to pay the sum of N10,497,064.00k  owed him as pension for a period of eight months from 1^st June to 31^st January, 2018

*An order of court directing the defendants to pay the sum of N500, 000 being the responsibility allowance deducted from the claimant’s pension monthly from 1^st February 2018 till the time judgment is delivered

*An order of the court directing the defendants to pay the sum of N150,395;00 being his accommodation allowance deducted from the claimant’s monthly pension from December 2018 till the time  judgment is delivered

*An order of court directing the defendants to pay the sum of N5, 414,220.00 being furniture allowance for a period of four years. An order of court directing the defendants to pay the sum of N47, 236,788.00 being the claimant’s gratuity due to him

*The sum of N15, 000.000 as general damages for failure to pay his pension for a period of eight months from 1^st day of June 2017 to 31^st day of January, 2018 without any justification and his gratuity (3) years after his retirement.

Penpushing further reports that, the team of the claimant’s lawyers includes: Deji Eniseyin, Damilola Oshinuga, Afolabi Ilesanmi, Blessing Uduma and Oluwaseun Ajiboye all from Deji Enisenyin Chambers in Abeokuta.