The National Industrial Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc. to pay N20 million in damages to a staff member who suffered permanent disfigurement after a near-fatal electrocution incident while on duty.
Justice Muhammed Hamza, delivering judgment at the Port Harcourt Judicial Division, held the electricity company liable for breaching its duty of care and awarded an additional N500,000 as cost of action. The total compensation must be paid within 30 days.
Describing the company’s response as “disturbing and insensitive”, the judge criticised Port Harcourt Electricity for issuing a query to the injured employee, Mr. Robert, while he was still hospitalised.
Mr. Robert told the court that he worked under a temporary contract for over two years and had not been confirmed as a permanent staff member. He alleged the electrocution occurred due to negligence by a superior officer. He also stated that while the company reimbursed N2 million borrowed by his father for emergency treatment, it failed to honour other promises and later terminated his employment during his recovery.
Port Harcourt Electricity denied liability, arguing that Mr. Robert failed to use essential safety gear such as grounding tools and safety belts, and thus was responsible for the accident.
However, Mr. Robert’s lawyer, Goodnews Obinna, maintained that the incident was the result of direct instructions from a superior, making the employer vicariously liable.
Justice Hamza ruled that Mr Robert’s contract had effectively converted to full-time status after May 31, 2021, and affirmed that employers must not only provide safety equipment but also enforce their use—especially in high-risk operations such as working on high-tension lines.
“The employer’s duty goes beyond issuing safety guidelines. It includes ensuring those rules are strictly followed,” the judge said.
The ruling reaffirms the legal obligations of Nigerian employers to maintain safe workplaces and supervise hazardous tasks with due diligence.
