The National Industrial Court in Lagos has ruled that Reddington Multi‑Specialist Hospital wrongfully terminated the employment of Mr. Adefemi Olayinka Aderiye and failed to follow proper redundancy procedures. Delivering judgment, Hon. Justice A. N. Ubaka ordered the hospital to pay ₦19.1 million in redundancy benefits, pension arrears, damages, and costs within 30 days.
Justice Ubaka said the court reached its verdict after finding that the hospital changed Mr. Aderiye’s employment status without his agreement and withdrew key benefits. He added that the hospital’s actions violated its own employee handbook and labour standards, rendering the termination invalid.
According to the case facts, Mr. Aderiye told the court he had worked at Reddington for several years before the hospital suddenly changed his status to contract staff. He said this was done without any discussion or agreement, and that although he continued performing the same duties, he lost pension, leave, and other entitlements, prompting him to seek legal redress.
In defence, Reddington Multi‑Specialist Hospital argued that the change was part of internal restructuring. The hospital stated that Aderiye was placed on a contractor arrangement and received his emoluments under that structure. It also argued that by continuing to work, he had accepted the variation in terms.
But counsel to the claimant, Folabi Kuti, SAN, disagreed. He told the court that no redundancy was ever declared and added that even if the hospital claimed one, Mr. Aderiye was the only staff affected, which made the action selective and discriminatory.
In delivering judgment, Justice Ubaka ruled that Reddington Hospital did not follow the redundancy process in its employee handbook, which requires consultation with affected staff and application of the last‑in‑first‑out principle. He said the hospital did not comply with these provisions.
The court further held that an employer cannot reshape an existing contract or remove statutory benefits without clear and voluntary agreement from the worker. Justice Ubaka said the hospital’s reasons were not valid and did not meet international best practices. He also declared that Aderiye was entitled to pension contributions from 2018 to 2021 under the Pension Reform Act.
On reliefs, the court awarded: ₦4.2 million for redundancy pay, salary in lieu, and unused leave; ₦5.4 million for outstanding pension remittances with statutory interest; ₦9 million in general damages; and ₦500,000 as costs, bringing the total to ₦19.1 million.
Justice Ubaka said the method of termination was selective and caused untold hardship due to the non‑remittance of pension for three years. He concluded that Mr. Aderiye had been subjected to an arrangement that did not comply with labour standards and that he was unjustly deprived of his accrued rights.
