The National Industrial Court in Jos has declared the dismissal of Bulus Lambert and 55 other staff of the Plateau State College of Health Technology by the state governor unlawful. The court ruled that the governor acted outside his authority and ordered their immediate reinstatement.
In his judgment, Presiding Judge Justice Ibrahim Galadima held that the Plateau State Governor, the Attorney General, and the College must jointly and severally pay the workers ₦5 million in general damages for the hardship, inconvenience, and emotional distress caused by their unlawful termination. An additional ₦500,000 was awarded as costs of action, payable within 30 days.
Justice Galadima ruled that the governor had no legal power to suspend, dismiss, or interfere in any way with the claimants’ appointments. He described the purported termination as “void ab initio and of no legal effect.”
The court further ordered that the workers be restored to their former positions in line with their letters of appointment.
According to evidence before the court, the claimants stated that after the newly elected governor assumed office, he suspended them and publicly announced their dismissal. They maintained that the action was unlawful as the governor lacked authority over their employment. They also told the court they had not received any salary since January 2023.
In defence, the Plateau State Government argued that the claimants’ employment process was flawed, noting that no advertisements were issued for the positions and that the Appointments and Promotions Committee did not conduct interviews as required by the College’s regulations. The state also maintained that the workers, having served only about two years, were still within their probationary period and could not sustain claims for wrongful termination.
However, claimants’ counsel, Nantok Dashuwar Esq, countered that no law empowers the governor to interfere with the employment of College staff. He stressed that such authority rests solely with the Governing Council of the institution.
Dashuwar further argued that even if the claimants were on probation, due process under the law was not followed in ending their employment. He urged the court to grant the reliefs sought.
In his judgment, Justice Galadima affirmed that employment with statutory backing is governed strictly by the relevant statute or regulations. He said being on probation does not negate statutory employment rights, and any termination must follow due process.
The judge also noted that the alleged irregularities in the appointment process were matters for the College itself to address, not grounds to punish the workers. He concluded that the College’s Governing Council is the only body legally empowered to appoint, discipline, or remove staff, and therefore the governor acted without lawful authority.
