Ex-staff sues First Bank for N500m

For Tennyson Ikpi, the will to fight determines your height in life.
His employer, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, is facing a litmus test as a responsible company having been dragged before the National Industrial Court sitting at Enugu in Suit No: NICN/EN/16/2014, following his indefinite suspension from duty and subsequent disengagement without adherence to the strict provision of employment law and internationally recognised best labor practices.
It has been over a year since Ikpi, one of the finest brains in the banking industry, was made jobless and left with no hope by the First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Ikpi, a former staff of the United Bank for Africa from 2004 to 2008 and Keystone Bank Limited (formerly known as Bank PHB) from 2008 till August 31, 2012, where he rose to the position of a Branch Manager, had a flourishing banking career until sometime in August 2012 when he received an offer letter from the First Bank of Nigeria Plc due to his vast and intimidating banking experience and impeccable track record.
Consequent upon the offer from First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Ikpi on August 31, 2012 tendered his resignation letter to Keystone Bank Limited.
Little did he know that calamity was looming around the corner.
Few weeks after his resignation, Ikpi received a letter from First Bank of Nigeria Plc abruptly suspending his employment on ground of a spurious and unfounded allegation against him on the pages of some newspapers by an individual who had a personal acrimony with him over a court case and after keeping him in the dark without the payment of his salaries for six months and without any hearing or judgment from any court of law in Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria Plc terminated his employment.
This step, Ikpi strongly believes, violates his constitutional right to fair hearing.
He has since commenced an action at the National Industrial Court, challenging the constitutionality of the termination of his employment.
Ikpi is praying the Court to award him N500 million as damages he suffered as a result of the unlawful action.
In a quite dramatic turn, the individual, who was responsible for the said publications, prior to the termination of Ikpi’s employment, wrote to the appropriate quarters exonerating Ikpi of any wrongdoing and is even a vital witness in the suit against First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
The matter came up on July 15, 2014.
It was adjourned to October 28, 2014.
Enquiries at First Bank was yet to yield any response as at press time.