Ex-employee Sues Ibeto, Others Over Unpaid Salary, Retirement Benefits

A former group financial controller of the Ibeto Group and seven affiliated companies, Eze Sunday Eze, has dragged his former employers before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over alleged unpaid salary and the cessation of his retirement benefits.

The companies listed as defendants in the lawsuit, numbered NICN/AWK/04/2023, include Ibeto Group, Ibeto Industries Limited, Ibeto Petrochemical Industries Limited, Ibeto Hotels Limited, and Ibeto Cement Limited.

Others are Max Shipping Services Limited, Union Auto Parts Manufacturing Company Limited, and Odoh Holding Limited.

In a statement of claim attached to the lawsuit, the claimant provided details about his resignation from the company and described how he unsuccessfully attempted to obtain his salary and retirement benefits.

Eze stated that he was employed as the group financial controller by the Ibeto Group, with an offer dated November 6, 2001, and that his appointment took effect from December 1, 2001. He served the defendants in this capacity for 19 years.

Eze alleged that on May 21, 2021, the chairman/CEO of the defendants, Dr Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, convened a meeting attended by him, the group executive director, Operations and Investments, Eze Echesi, and the group chief internal Auditor, Ben-Oscar Nwachukwu where Dr Ibeto allegedly informed them that one of the company’s clients had initially paid N2.7 billion for the first two years of a tenancy agreement for the Ibeto Terminal in Port Harcourt.

Eze further claimed that Dr Ibeto stated that he planned to settle his outstanding salary of N17,861,995.54, which was owed up to April 30, 2021, in three or more instalments.

Additionally, Dr Ibeto allegedly informed him that his salary would be reduced to half starting May 2021 for an initial period of six months, after which the arrangement would be reviewed.

At the last hearing of the case on November 14, 2024, before Justice O. A. Ogunbowale, the claimant’s counsel appeared in court, but the defendants’ legal representatives were absent.

The claimant’s counsel informed the court that he just took over the case file and requested a brief adjournment to file the appropriate documentation for the change of representation.

Justice Ogunbowale granted the adjournment and fixed the next hearing date for February 5, 2025.