18 Workers Win ₦108m Against Taraba Govt
Eighteen former workers of the Taraba Publishing Company have secured a major legal victory against the Taraba State Government after the National Industrial Court awarded them more than ₦108 million in unpaid salaries, damages and legal costs.
The judgment follows a prolonged employment dispute connected to the collapse of operations at Taraba Publishing Company, publishers of Sunrise Newspaper.
The dispute dates back to 2014 when production of the newspaper stopped and salaries of affected employees ceased.
Following the development, workers regarded as indigenes of Taraba State were subsequently absorbed into government ministries, departments and agencies.
However, 18 workers who were not indigenes of the state were allegedly left without similar consideration.
The affected workers eventually approached the National Industrial Court, challenging what they considered discriminatory treatment and seeking payment of outstanding salaries and other employment entitlements.
Court Rules Against Discrimination
Delivering judgment at the Yola Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court, Justice James Agbadu-Fishim ruled that excluding the 18 workers from redeployment on the basis of their states of origin amounted to discrimination.
A major issue before the court was the different treatment given to employees who had worked under the same state-owned establishment.
While some workers were moved into other government establishments, the 18 affected employees maintained that they were neither redeployed nor formally disengaged.
They also argued that they were never issued letters terminating their appointments.
The court held that treating the workers differently because of their states of origin was inconsistent with Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which protects Nigerian citizens against discrimination on grounds including community and place of origin.
The decision represents a significant victory for the workers after years of seeking recognition of their employment status and outstanding entitlements.
Court Awards Over ₦108m
The judgment carries substantial financial implications for the state government.
The court awarded the workers ₦73,257,715.40 in outstanding salary entitlements.
Of that amount, ₦29,881,416.15 covers unpaid salaries from September 2014 to March 2017, while another ₦43,376,299.25 covers the period from April 2017 to January 2021.
The workers were also awarded ₦30 million in damages for the hardship and trauma they experienced while waiting for their salaries and seeking resolution of their complaints.
Another ₦5.25 million was awarded as the cost of prosecuting the case.
Together, the specified awards amount to approximately ₦108.5 million.
But the government’s eventual financial obligation could be higher.
The court also ordered that the workers’ collective monthly salaries of ₦951,398.90 be calculated from February 2021 up to the date of judgment.
A 10 per cent post-judgment interest was also ordered on relevant sums until payment.
Workers to Get Disengagement Letters
Beyond the monetary awards, the court directed that the affected workers should be formally issued disengagement letters.
Their terminal benefits and other outstanding entitlements are also expected to be assessed and paid.
The order addresses one of the central complaints raised by the workers — that despite the disruption of the company’s operations, their employment had never been formally terminated.
The Taraba State Government and other defendants had challenged the workers’ claims.
Among their arguments was that Taraba Publishing Company was a separate incorporated entity and had been wound up.
The court, however, found evidence indicating that the company had not been legally dissolved.
It also considered the relationship between the company and the state government, including the government’s role in establishing and exercising control over the publishing outfit.
End of a Decade-Long Battle?
The judgment marks a major turning point in a dispute stretching back more than a decade.
For the affected workers, the ruling provides both financial relief and legal recognition after years of pursuing their claims.
It also brings renewed attention to the wider question of how classifications such as “indigene” and “non-indigene” are applied in public employment.
The case demonstrates the potential legal consequences when employees performing under the same public establishment are treated differently primarily because of their places of origin.
The judgment may not necessarily represent the final stage of the dispute, however, as the Taraba State Government retains the right to challenge the decision through the appellate process.
For the 18 former workers, the National Industrial Court’s decision nevertheless represents their most significant victory since the dispute began in 2014.
