Unlawful disengagement: 500 workers drag OAUTHC management to court

More than 500 disengaged workers of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, have sued the hospital management over alleged unlawful termination of their services.

The claimants, through their counsel, Sola Ojutalayo, prayed for an order of the National Industrial Court, Ibadan, for their reinstatement and payment of all entitlements.

According to the workers’ statement of claims, they were employed between October and December 2022 and allegedly disengaged unlawfully on January 31, 2024, without any reason from the hospital management.

At Tuesday’s hearing, four exhibits were admitted when Mr Ojutalayo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), led in evidence one of the claimants, Samson Ogunleye, as a witness.

However, the respondent’s counsel, Ejike Orji, objected to the admissibility of two of the four exhibits on the grounds that they were not signed.

Responding, Mr Ojutalayo argued that Mr Orji only looked at the first pages of the two objected exhibits without checking other pages.

He said if Mr Orji had checked other pages of the exhibits, he would have discovered they were duly signed and thus admissible in law and relevant to the case.

Ruling on the exhibits’ admissibility, Justice John Peters held that the exhibits containing the claimants’ various dates of employment and salaries to be paid were signed by all the claimants.

The witness, now being cross-examined by the respondent’s counsel, said he was not appointed on probation and was unaware the head of service granted waiver to some employed workers.

He said the hospital management did not state any reason for his termination and that he never received a salary since he was employed till the disengagement date.

The judge adjourned the case until February 11 for the hearing to continue.

The claimants are Samson Awosope, Olufemi Falope, Omowumi Fayemi, and 509 others.

(NAN)