Ex-Staff Slams N4bn Suit on ExxonMobil over Alleged Forceful Retirement
A multinational oil company, Exxonmobil Corporation and its parent body Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, has been slammed with a Four billion Naira suit by an exstaff of the company, over an alleged forceful retirement.
In the suit filed before the National Industrial Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, the ex-staff, James Nwagbogwu Ebede, alleged that he was forcefully retired from the company.
Joined as co-Defendant in the suit, is the Vice President and the overall executive officer of ExxonMobil Iraq limited between February 15, 2017 and December, 2017, Mr. Ronald W. Romere, who had worked in Nigeria for so many years, before being deployed to Iraq.
In a statement of facts filed by his Lawyer, Mr. Francis Chuka Agbu, SAN, the ex -Exxonmobil Corporation staff, Ebede, stated that, he worked with the company from December, 2001 to 2018 as an Engineer, and because of his consistent excellent performances he was at various times given important responsibilities.
According to him, in 2015 he was deployed to Dubai, the posting was to last till December 2017, but, he was forcefully redeployed back to Nigeria to retire, because he refused to carry out dishonest actions that he was being compelled to do by the Manager of ExxonMobil, while on assignment in the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Ebede stated that, on his return to Nigeria, further punitive actions were taken against him, leading to his forced premature retirement.
He said some of the dishonest actions actions he was compelled to do, include compelling him to him to employ unqualified Engineers.
“On several occasions, attempts were made to compel me to sign off uncompleted and poorly executed projects as completed, several contract manipulations that were in breach of simple ethical guidelines, deliberate over-scoping of several projects with corrupt intentions to rig the bidding process and award projects at escalated prices running into several billions of Dollars”, he explained.
Ebede stated that, because of his resistance not to breach the stipulations contained in the ExxonMobil Educational Assistance Supplementary, the company refused to reimburse him for the monies expended on settling his children's school fees, refused to provide flight tickets for the return of his family members to Nigeria, after his stay in Dubai was abruptly cut short.
He also alleged that, the company refused to ship many of his belongings and the one of his family members, at the time he was returning to Nigeria.
Consequently, Ebede is claiming the sum of $40 million as general damages for the emotional stress he has suffered, and N114,992,096 being the equivalent of 32 months salary, which the Defendants ought to pay him for his forceful retirement.
He is also demanding that, the Defendants publish a public apology in two daily newspapers, and two international newspapers.
However, the Defendants, in their preliminary objection filed before the court by their counsel, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu, SAN, urged the court to decline jurisdiction to entertain the suit, on the ground that the ExxonMobil company is an entity incorporated under the laws of the United States of America, therefore, the Nigerian court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Responding, Agbu, SAN in his submission contended that, the company not only conducts its business in Nigeria by means of subsidiaries, but also operates directly in Nigeria, as it holds operating interest in several Oil Mining Licences; therefore, he urged the court to dismiss the objection of the Defendants.
The court however, dismissed the Defendants' application of preliminary objection.
In his ruling, Justice R. H. Gwandu held that: “I hold that this court has the jurisdiction to adjudicate on issues contained in the Claimant's suit, both by subject-matter and territory, the Claimant having shown sufficient cause of action against the Defendants”.