Hon. Justice E. D. Isele, the presiding Judge, Kano Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court, has ordered Bua Flour Mill, a subsidiary of BUA Group owned by Abdul Samad Rabiu, to pay 11 former staff of the company – Aliyu Kabara, Idris Isah, Abdulahi Mohammed, Muhammed Abdulahi, and Ahmed Mohammed the sum of N1,425,600.00, N261,360, N216,000.00, N261,000.00, and N522,720.00 respectively as their terminal benefits.
The Court held that the employment termination of Aliyu Kabara and 10 others remain valid in line with the terms and conditions governing their appointments; ordered the firm to also pay RABIU HAMISU and 5 others who have spent less than 5 years in the company’s employment a month salary in lieu of notice within month of the delivery of the judgment.
From facts, the claimants- Aliyu Kabara and 10 others had submitted that the termination of their appointments did not conform to the company’s staff manual and handbook that they were yet to receive any terminal benefits from the firm from 5th March 2013 to date.
They continued that by the provisions of the company’s staff manual and handbook they are entitled to terminal/end of service benefits against the respective years of service.
In defense, the defendant- Bua Flour Mill maintained that the appointments of the Aliyu Kabara and 10 others were duly terminated in line with the terms and conditions governing their appointments as their services were no longer required and further that the firm is yet to pay them the terminal benefit because Aliyu Kabara and 10 others rejected the amounts and the computations were made according to the staff manual, urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
In reply, Aliyu Kabara and 10 others maintained that the termination benefits calculated against names of the respective Claimants were inaccurate and does not reflect their correct entitlements, urged the court to grant the reliefs sought.
Delivering the judgment, the presiding judge, Justice E.D. Isele held that the BUA Flour Mill acted according to the terms and conditions contained in the letters of Aliyu Kabara and 10 others’ appointments for termination of their appointments.
The Court further held that the Aliyu Kabara and 10 others’ claims as computed by them were not founded on the clear provisions of the staff manual Handbook.
