National Industrial Court, Makurdi has adjourned the case filed by former Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, Alex Adum to May 27, 2025.
The Presiding Judge, Justice David Isele adjourned the case for further hearing after the company’s defense last Friday.
The former MD had dragged the company before Industrial Court in Makurdi challenging his illegal removal from office and refusal of the defendants to pay his entitlements.
He was claiming over N142.4 million as
salary, allowances, and severance gratuity as contained in his condition of service amongst others.
When the case came up for mention on Friday at the National Industrial Court in Makurdi, counsel to BIPC, Mr Nathans Gwebe told the court that they have filed their defence.
Gwebe said, “the defence was already served on the claimant and other defendants.”
All counsels therefore agreed that the court processes be regularised and the case allowed to progress.
Gwebe added that the claimant has no case against defendants and stated that he had responded to the complaints of the Claimant point by point.
Gwebe averred that the Claimant had on 30th June, 2020 during an emergency board meeting and the 97th board meeting of the company held on 30th March 2023 approved the purchase of official cars for some management staff.
He said on 17th April, 2023 the claimant and others were paid N142,4 million for official cars adding that the Claimant collected N65.8m from the said amount.
He said the claimant upon his appointment was placed on GL 14 salary and his gross monthly salary was N481,538.54 while his net monthly salary was N252,208.16 and not the figures he mentioned in his complaint.
He said only staff on the payroll of the company were entitled to salary and allowances therefore since the claimant was no longer their staff, he could not enjoy such benefits.
He said the claimant had before his removal from office collected certain allowances upfront which they would be asking the court for refund and added that they would provide more details during their defence.
Adum had dragged the defendants before the court challenging his illegal removal from office and refusal of the defendants to pay his entitlements.
The former MD had told the court that the defendants appointed him on 20th August 2019 as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) for a statutory term of five years.
He averred that the defendants, however, on 1st June, 2023 through a correspondence from the Secretary to the State Government removed him from office without due process.
He said the defendant has refused to pay his salary, allowances, and severance gratuity as contained in his condition of service.
He said the defendants were owning him N23.7 million salary and allowances for the remaining 15 months of his term and severance gratuity of N1.5 million.
He further averred that he was entitled to an official car (SUV) to be either purchased or monetised but he was not given and urged the court to compel the defendants to pay him N130.7 million for the car.
He also asked for N5 million cost of litigation, special damages of N5 million, general damages of N20 million, and 20 percent interest on the judgment debt from the judgment until the entire amount was paid.
and then