The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), on Thursday, ordered the Adamawa State Government to pay N660 million to 659 teachers sacked by the Adamawa Post Primary Board.
On August 11, 2015, the teachers sued the Adamawa State Government , Ministry of Education, Post Primary School Management Board and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, seeking a declaration that their appointment was valid, lawful and not illegal, having worked for a period of 29 months.
They also sought a declaration that having worked for the defendants for 29 months, they were entitled to the payment of their salaries and wage, allowances and entitlements totaling N638.9 million.
Delivering judgement, Juustice Nelson Ogbuanya of the NICN, Yola Division, held that the state government failed to provide evidence tat the teachers were disengaged.
Ogbuanya, therefore, held that the teachers were still valid staff of the state government from August 2012 till date.
He also ordered the state government to pay the teachers their 29 months salaries within two weeks.
The judge ordered the government to pay another N22 million as damages to the complainants for keeping them without salaries for the period under review.
Uguanya rued the behaviour of some employees who could trample on the peoples dignity of labour.
After the judgement, Mr Urbanus Jonathan, state counsel said that he received it with shock.
Jonathan, who represented the state Ministry of Justice, said that he would get back to the ministry and study the judgment which copies were not yet served before deciding on the next line of action.
Also speaking, Mr Abubakar Babakano, counsel to teachers, described the judgement as a landmark one, adding that “it shows that judiciary is the last hope of the common man”.
Babakano said that the court had given judgement to teachers and they would wait for the implementation of the judgement.
He, however, urged the state government to implement the judgement without delay.
The teachers were employed by the state government under former Governor Murtala Nyako in August, 2012.
The teachers were deployed to various schools and started work, were given staff numbers, and they started collecting salaries for six months.
