Our Reporter
A former newscaster with the African Independent Television (AIT), Peter Kumba, has sued DAAR Communications Plc at the National Industrial Court, Abuja, challenging his compulsory retirement.
At the resumed sitting on the matter on Monday, the claimant’s counsel, Adesola Ajayi, told the court that the matter was slated for mention.
The judge, Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, asked if the defendant had been served with court processes and Ajayi affirmed that they had been served, although they were yet to receive the process.
She prayed the court for an adjournment and accelerated hearing in the matter, saying the claimant had suffered untold hardship since he was compulsorily retired and had not been paid his benefits.
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The defendant was neither in court nor represented by a legal counsel for Monday’s proceeding.
Justice Oyewumi instructed the court clerk to verify proof of service on the defendant.
When it was verified that the process was served on February 10, she said defendant was to file its defence.
The judge adjourned the matter till today for further mention and directed that hearing notice be served on the defendant.
Kumba is seeking a declaration that his compulsory retirement is inconsistent with the provisions of the defendant’s Internal Control Policies and Procedures Manual, signed and dated November 2, 2011. The claimant is also seeking a declaration that he is entitled to his full retirement benefits, outstanding salaries, unpaid allowances, payment in lieu of annual leave and pension contributions.
In his statement of facts, Kumba said he was employed in 2004 as an Editor and he was compulsorily retired on February 12, 2018, when he had not attained the mandatory age of 65 for retirement and had not spent 40 years, as stipulated by the defendant’s Internal Control Policies and Procedures Manual.
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