By Miracle Ogunde
The management of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, OAUTHC, Ile-Ife have been taken to court by some staff members over unlawful termination of their employment.
According to Daily Post, over 500 former employees of the workers, represented by their legal counsel, Sola Ojutalayo, are seeking reinstatement and payment of their outstanding entitlements.
According to the claimants, “they were employed between October and December 2022 but were allegedly dismissed without explanation on 31 January 2024.”
They argued that the termination was abrupt and lacked due process.
The case is being heard at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan.
During Tuesday’s hearing, four exhibits were presented as evidence, including documents detailing the claimants’ employment dates and agreed salaries.
Ojutalayo called one of the claimants, Samson Ogunleye, as a witness in the case.
The respondent’s counsel, Ejike Orji, objected to the admissibility of two of the four exhibits, arguing that “they were unsigned and therefore invalid”.
Ojutalayo countered the objection, stating that “Orji had only reviewed the first pages of the exhibits and missed the signatures on subsequent pages.”
In his ruling on the matter, Justice John Peters admitted the exhibits, confirming they were duly signed and relevant to the case.
He noted that the documents detailed the claimants’ employment terms, including salaries owed.
During cross-examination, Ogunleye testified that he was not hired on probation and was unaware of any waivers granted to other employees by the head of service.
He also stated that he had not “received any salary since his employment until the date of disengagement.”
The witness further told the court that the hospital management provided no explanation for the termination of his employment or that of his colleagues.
The claimants are demanding full payment of all entitlements and reinstatement to their positions, arguing that the termination was unlawful and unjustified.
Justice Peters adjourned the case to 11 February for further hearing, allowing both parties additional time to present their arguments and evidence.
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