The National Industrial Court in Abuja on Thursday heard that the retirement of Mr Emmanuel Okeke, an Assistant Controller of Fire Service, was in error.
Okeke dragged the Federal Fire Service to court over an alleged wrongful and early retirement.
He joined the Federal Ministry of Interior, and Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board as co-respondents.
The Counsel to the claimant, Mr Uche Uwazuruonye, contended that Okeke was retired in February 2015 when a junior officer was appointed to head the service.
Uwazuruonye, therefore, sought an order of the court to reinstate his client, and to pay him N20 million and N150,000 as general damages and cost of action, respectively.
Counsel to Federal Fire Service, who file preliminary objection, was absent in court.
Uwazuruonye had urged the court to strike out the objection because of the non-appearance of defendant’s counsel.
However, counsel to Federal Ministry of Interior and Board of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services, Mr Ahmad Abubakar, and Mr Ibrahim Makama, applied for adjournment to regularise the processes.
Makama told the court that retirement of senior officers was the norm in para-military services, especially when a junior officer was appointed to a substantive position above them.
He said the service had granted the claimant a soft landing by way of retirement and was willing to pay all his retirement benefits and entitlements.
The judge, Justice Peter Lifu, adjourned the case till November 19, for the hearing of the preliminary objections.
