Court orders UATH to reinstate consultant, pay entitlements

The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), to reinstate and pay a dismissed Consultant, Ahidjo Kawu his entitlements.

The entitlements as ordered by the court includes arrears of salaries and benefits from June, 2015, the time his employment was terminated till date.

The claimant had approached the court to seek redress when the defendant (UATH), terminated his employment based on allegation of misconduct without fair hearing.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ebiye Isele, declared that the termination of the claimant’s employment by the defendant was unlawful.

He therefore set aside the termination and ordered reinstatement of the claimant as a Consultant, the level the claimant was downgraded to before his dismissal.

Isele said this he did because he felt the defendant did not go outside the stipulations of law in downgrading the claimant from Consultant Special Grade 1 to Consultant.

The judge further ordered the payment of the claimant’s arrears of salaries and benefits from June, 2015 till date.

Kassim Lawal, the claimant’s counsel told the court that his client was employed by the defendant on Aug. 27, 2008 as a consultant surgeon.

Lawal also said the claimant’s offer of provisional appointment was confirmed on the March 16, 2011 and was promoted on Sept. 3, 2013 to Consultant Special grade II which took effect from Jan. 1, 2013.

The counsel in addition said the claimant was however downgraded to a Consultant on June 14, 2014 after an allegation of gross misconduct that involved unethical practices on his part.

He said it was while the claimant appealed his downgrading and was waiting for reply, that his employment was terminated.

Lawal said the claimant was not accorded fair hearing when a member of the panel he was made to face was the same person that the claimant was at loggerheads with.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit were University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Management Board and the Chief Medical Director, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.