By Modupe Gbadeyanka
C&I Leasing Plc has been directed by the Benin City Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court to pay the sum of N2 million as damages for the psychological trauma and hardship suffered one of its former employees, Mr Harry Akpisheri.
Also, the firm was ordered to pay him N433,243.56k as annual leave allowance for 2016 as well as N100,000 as cost of action within 30 days.
In addition, the presiding judge, Justice Adunola Adewemimo, said the company, which is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), must immediately obtain and handover to Mr Akpisheri yearly tax receipts and clearance certificates from February 2009 to December 2016; or if unpaid, pay the taxes applicable with attendant fines/cost of default to be assessed by the relevant tax authority and obtain tax receipts/tax clearance certificates covering that period and hand same over to the ex-staff.
The claimant was employed by the firm through a letter dated February 20, 2009 and worked till June 27, 2014 when his employment was terminated due to restructuring and was later renewed on July 1, 2014, and later retired in December 2016.
According to Mr Akpisheri, after his retirement, he requested for a letter of disengagement/retirement to access his retirement savings but the defendant failed to comply with his request.
He, thereafter, wrote a letter through his solicitors to C&I Leasing requesting for the letter, his annual leave allowance for 2016, tax receipts and tax certificates, but nothing came out of it.
In its defence, the firm said it issued the certificate of retirement in 2016, but unable to deliver it because the address provided by him on his record turned out to be fictitious.
Aduragbemi Omiyale