Witness Protests Alleged Unlawful Suspension

Funmilayo Omosule, the sole witness in a suit filed against Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority Administration (OGFZAA), has given his evidence against the agency over his alleged unlawful suspension.

Omosule testified, on Thursday, before Justice OlufunkeAnuwe of a National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja during a cross examination by counsel for OGFZAA, Michael Ajara.

Recall that while Omosule is the claimant, OGFZAA, a Federal Government agency, is the defendant.

The duo had been locked in a fierce legal battle to resolve the legality or otherwise of the claimant’s suspension, following his petition against some management staff of the agency on alleged corruption.

OGFZAA had, via a letter dated April 18, 2011, suspended Omosule as the manager of its Abuja office on the grounds that he had refused to comply with its letter dated December 3, 2010, which had directed him to present the originals of his credentials for verification.

Omosule, however, refuted the claim of the authority, stating that he made available to the defendant Certified True Copies (CTCs) of his educational certificates/credentials, including GCE ‘O Level certificates and degree certificates as instructed.

Omosule had claimed that the originals of his credentials were misplaced in untraceable circumstances as at 2010 when the report to submit originals was made.

The claimant also averred that the CTCs of his certificates submitted to the defendant were certified by the issuing institutions, which included the West African Examination Council and the University of Ado-Ekiti, then Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti, respectively.

The claimant is seeking the court‘s declaration that he was still a staff of the organisation and entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits due to him by reason of his employment.

He is praying the court for an order directing the defendant to reinstate him to the position of a director, on grade level 17, a position he claimed his contemporaries were holding currently. Omosule is equally seeking the order of the court to direct the defendant to pay all his outstanding salaries, benefits and entitlement since 2011.

In addition, he is asking the court to order the defendant to pay him the sum of N50 million as exemplary and general damages. Upon resumption of hearing, lawyer to the federal agency, Ajara, informed that the matter was slated for a cross examination of the prosecution witness. While being cross examined virtually, Omosule told the court that when he was employed on April 18, 2008, he tendered his original credentials for verification.

He said though the documents were later misplaced, he got their CTCs from the issuing institutions and presented them when his office demanded for his educational certificates. The witness admitted tendering a voluntary resignation letter on December 1, 2021, but said his office turned it down in a reply letter dated December 13, 2021. He said having rejected his resignation letter by the OGFZAA, such action had nullified his letter.

After the two letters were tendered by Ajara and were not opposed to by TunjiAbayomi, counsel for Omosule, the judge admitted them in evidence. The witness also admitted instituting a criminal proceeding against two of his colleagues;  at an FCT Magistrate Court over their alleged complicity in the scenerio leading to his suspension.  He said the magistrate ordered the FCT police to investigate them while the court also summoned them to appear before it. Omosule insisted that he still stood by the depositions he made on May 24 in two witness statements which he adopted on oath as his evidence in the matter. Justice Anuwe adjourned the matter until July 14 for defence.