The Benue Investment and Property Company, BIPC, has filed its defence in the suit instituted by its former Managing Director, Mr. Alex Adum at the National Industrial Court, Makurdi.
The ex Managing Director in his suit informed the court that the defendants appointmented him on August 20, 2019 as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BIPC for a statutory term of five years but termaninsted his appointed abruptly in June 1, 2023 through a correspondence from the Secretary to the State Government, SSG.
He claimed that the defendants had refused to pay his salary, allowances and severance as contained in his condition of service.
He asked the court to compel the defendants to pay him “N23.7million 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 SUV official car to be either purchased or montised which he did not get and urged the court to order the defendants to pay him N130.7million for the car including another N5million cost of litigation, N5million special damages, N20million general damages and 20 percent interest on the judgement debt from the judgement until the entire amount was paid.
When the case came up for mention on Friday, counsel to BIPC, Mr. Nathan Gwebe told the court that they had filed their defence adding that the defence had already been served on the claimant and other defendants and the counsels therefore agreed that the court processes be regularised and the case allowed to progress.
He in a counter-claim, insisted that the claimant had no case against the defendants who had responded to the complaint of the Claimant point by point.
According to him, “the Claimant had on June 30, 2020 during an emergency board meeting and the 97th board meeting of the company held on March, 30, 2023 approved the purchase of official cars for some management staff. And on April 17, 2023 the claimant and others were paid N142.4millon for official cars and the Claimant collected N65.8m from the said amount.”
He explained that the claimant upon his appointment was placed “on salary GL14 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.
The company countered further that the former Managing Director collected the sum of N13,712, 224 to attend an international workshop in the United State of Amercia but failed and or refused to attend and participate in the workshop on behalf of the Company and had deliberately refused to refund the above sum to the Company despite repeated demands.
The Company’s also claimed that the former Managing Director took one of the Company’s Pool Toyota Hilux Van with registration number MKD 47 MT valued at N35million without Board or Management approval in violation of the Company’s Policy which he personally approved in addition to the approved official car for which he collected N65.8million.
The counsel insisted that based on the foregoing, “the Company is Counter-Claiming the sum of N104,617, 849 against Mr. Alex Adum comprising of special and general damages.”
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