2.The Applicants’ allege that in 2006, they were illegally disengaged from active
service and sequel to an advert by the Respondent’s agent, the Bureau for Public
Enterprise (BPE) sometime in year 2012, NITEL/MTEL was privatized and sold out
and its non-core assets were sold alongside some properties belonging to the
Applicants.
3. That NITEL/MTEL became liquidated through the instrumentality of the Federal
High Court vide a guided liquidation in which the said Court appointed a liquidator
for the Respondent. That in the liquidation proceeding, the Applicants submitted
their claims to the liquidator appointed to sell all the properties of NITEL/MTEL
owned by the Respondent. Despite the submission of claims, the said
entitlements/benefits have remained unpaid till date.
4.The Applicants contend that they are legally entitled to several allowances to wit;
life pension, applicable to all categories of pensionable staff of NITEL/MTEL who
have worked above 10 years, redundancy allowance after disengagement,
repatriation allowance, insurance facility, payment of October 2006 salary/house
rent allowance to the said disengaged staff, payment of three (3) month’s salary in
lieu of notice and compensation for the untold hardship since year 2006 in line with
the conditions of service provided under sections 173 (1) & (2), 210 of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Articles 24, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13,
14, 15, 17(2) & (b), 18 (2), 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29 (7), 45 (1), 60 & 61 of the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Applicants affirmed that the
Respondent has only paid them five (5) years pension buy out, as against the above
mentioned entitled claims.
5. That by a letter dated 21st April, 2017, an agent of the Respondent known as
Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), wrote to the Applicants
directing them to submit their documents for monthly pension payment only
without including the numerous entitlements/benefits submitted to the liquidator.
6. The Applicants further claimed that they are entitled to the sum of 1.2 Billion
Naira being the worth of 250 buses belonging to them which was taken over by the
Respondent. The Applicants aver that during their years of active service, they
formed a social cooperative wherein monthly contributions were deducted from
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