Court directs ABU, staff to file terms of settlement

The National Industrial Court on Monday urged the management of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and its 110 employees to proceed to file their settlement terms.

Justice Rakiya Haastrup gave the directive when the matter slated for a report of settlement came up.

The staff members’ counsel, Femi Adedeji, informed the court that he proceeded to the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) along with the defendant’s counsel, Abubakar Is’haq, after the court session on June 6.

Mr Adedeji stated that he assured PTAD of his client’s support for releasing the needed documents to ABU.

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Mr Is’haq, on his part, submitted that PTAD on June 14 scanned a memorandum of understanding for indemnity that will exonerate it from any issue that may arise as a result of releasing the claimant’s pension records to his client.

He added that PTAD will release the documents after the MOU is signed. Mr Adedeji said the documents sought would enable the defendant to compute the claimants’ pension and gratuity benefits without discrepancies, which is currently the bone of contention.

He further said that he was optimistic that the parties could meet before the next adjourned date and settle on the computations the defendant would have done after getting the records from PTAD.

Therefore, the court adjourned the matter until October 23, after the court’s annual vacation, for a settlement report. In addition, the court urged the parties to proceed to file their terms of the settlement.

The defendant is seeking documents from PTAD that will correct discrepancies in the claimants’ pension and gratuity benefits computations.

The claimants’ appointments were terminated in 1996. However, as part of the court’s order, the institution converted the termination letters to reinstatement or retirement letters as applicable to each employee.

(NAN)