Court adjourns NMC, suspended staff suit until May 31

By Glory Abuh-Adejoh

The National Industrial Court has adjourned until May 31, a suit filed by a suspended staff member of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Dr. Gregory Obayomi, against the Centre.

The suit before Justice Olufunke Anuwe at the last sitting on March 31 was adjourned until May 5, however the court on the stated date did not sit.

The court therefore fixed a new date of May 31 for hearing of pending applications.

From facts, the claimant, Obayomi had dragged the NMC, Governing Council , Director/Chief Executive and the acting Registrar of the Centre as defendants to court.

The claimant instituted the suit in June 2022 over alleged dissatisfaction with the process and procedures adopted by the defendants in the appointment process of a new Registrar for the Centre.

In his court processes, Obayomi termed as “unjust, non- transparent, and biased disposition” of the defendants in handling the 2022 Registrar’s appointment process.

The NMC management however suspended the claimant and stopped his salary in Aug. 2022.

The defendants had alleged that the claimant was suspended as a result of his failure to explore all internal dispute resolution mechanism as stipulated by the terms and conditions governing the Centre.

The court had earlier directed all parties in the suit in its ruling on July 14, 2022, to maintain status quo, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

The court also in another ruling on Dec.13,2022 ordered that the claimant be reinstated to his duty post from the purported suspension from duty.

In the ruling Anuwe said “in the circumstances of the suspension of the claimant from duty, l find good reason in this application to set aside the said suspension of the claimant which was done while the suit and Motion on Notice were pending. I so order.

” Consequently, pending the determination of this suit, the defendants are restrained from instituting any disciplinary proceedings against the claimant or tempering with the claimant’s appointment, emoluments, or promotion”, the court ruled.

Failure of the defendants to comply with the orders of the court saw the claimant filing proceedings for Committal to prison against the defendants.

The defendants filed counter processes to the Committal to prison proceedings.

The court therefore fixed May 31, for hearing of the Committal to prison proceedings as well as other pending applications

(NAN)