Retirees drag NSPM to court over non-payment of pension
(Nigeria) No fewer than 1,000 retirees of the Nigeria
Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM, on Monday dragged the
company to the National Industrial Court for non-payment of their
pension.
The group of pensioners, led by Mr Ekpo Inyang and Mr Emmanuel
Atiante, sued the company and the Federal Ministry of Finance as first
and second defendants.
The claimants are the former employees of the company, who were retired compulsorily on attaining the age of 45 between 1991 and 2005 at different times.
They alleged that the company had refused to pay their pensions after their retirement and prayed the court to declare that the refusal of the company to pay their pensions was illegal, null and void.
The retired workers also prayed the court to order the company to pay them on the basis of their total emolument from the date of retirement.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, counsel to the defendants, Mr Olusola Abiloye, raised a preliminary objection challenging the competency of the suit.
Abiloye argued that the suit was filed by way of originating summon, which was not the right way to commence a contentious issue in court.
He also contended that the suit lacked competency since it was not filed within three months when the course of action arose.
The counsel further argued that the claimants were retired between 1991 and 2005 while the case was filed in 2009.
While responding to the application, counsel to the claimant, Mrs Imuetinyan Okpogoro, told the court that the suit was first filed at the High Court in 1992.
Okpogoro explained that the defendant filed a cross appeal which was determined in 2009 at the Supreme Court.
She also argued that there was a new Supreme Court ruling that the Public Officers Protection Act did not apply to cases where there was continuous injury.
She contended that the action was filed within the three months period prescribed by law and urged the court to dismiss the application.
The President of the court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, then adjourned the case to May 22, for adoption of written address
The claimants are the former employees of the company, who were retired compulsorily on attaining the age of 45 between 1991 and 2005 at different times.
They alleged that the company had refused to pay their pensions after their retirement and prayed the court to declare that the refusal of the company to pay their pensions was illegal, null and void.
The retired workers also prayed the court to order the company to pay them on the basis of their total emolument from the date of retirement.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, counsel to the defendants, Mr Olusola Abiloye, raised a preliminary objection challenging the competency of the suit.
Abiloye argued that the suit was filed by way of originating summon, which was not the right way to commence a contentious issue in court.
He also contended that the suit lacked competency since it was not filed within three months when the course of action arose.
The counsel further argued that the claimants were retired between 1991 and 2005 while the case was filed in 2009.
While responding to the application, counsel to the claimant, Mrs Imuetinyan Okpogoro, told the court that the suit was first filed at the High Court in 1992.
Okpogoro explained that the defendant filed a cross appeal which was determined in 2009 at the Supreme Court.
She also argued that there was a new Supreme Court ruling that the Public Officers Protection Act did not apply to cases where there was continuous injury.
She contended that the action was filed within the three months period prescribed by law and urged the court to dismiss the application.
The President of the court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, then adjourned the case to May 22, for adoption of written address
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