By Doyin Ojosipe
The National Industrial Court on Monday, granted an application for adjournment of proceedings to enable the defendants, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) and its MD, Marylin Amobi, respond to a counter affidavit served by a whistleblower, Sambo Abdullahi.
The case has been adjourned to October 16, 2019, and the judge says the defendant has seven days to file a response.
The affidavit, which was against an application of stay of proceedings filed by NBET and its MD, was served by the claimant after counsel to the defendants submitted the application to suspend hearing at the Industrial Court pending the outcome of a case it filed at the Appeal Court.
Recall that the Court had initially granted an adjournment on the 24th of June to 15th July, 2019 after counsel to the defendants tried to make an oral application for stay of proceedings.
Justice Kiyersohot Damulak, the presiding judge, had refused the application for lack of proper service and ordered the defendants to document their application and serve the claimant as well.
However, the defendants who gave no reasons, failed to serve the claimant the application in good time, which slowed down proper response.
This further called for another adjournment on the basis of fair hearing following the Judge’s pronouncement.
It was also noticed that since the commencement of the case, two other defendants have failed to show up at the court nor acknowledged applications served by the claimant.
Claimant, Sambo Abdullahi, is a worker at the NBET plc. His ordeal started when he and another colleague, Waziri Bintube, exposed some fraudulent acts allegedly committed by NBET’s Managing Director, Marilyn Amobi.
The MD in response had moved to penalize Abdullahi by suspending him and allegedly withholding his salaries and other entitlements since 2017.
Abdullahi had also approached the industrial court to restrain NBET from doing anything that will further affect his appointment.
Although the Industrial court ruled against the request, it ordered both Abdullahi and NBET to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.
NBET however filed a similar suit at the Court of Appeal seeking to quash the order to maintain the status quo granted by the Industrial Court.
