“We therefore hold that denying the petitioner her place as a staff of the Board in these 22 years, is offensive to the principle of natural justice and fairness. The Committee will not encourage it, and so, is this honourable House.”
With these words, at the hallowed chamber of the Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday, Justina Chioma Okobia heaved a sigh of relief, having been asked to resume duty as a staff of the Delta State Urban Water Board, after being denied her duty for 22 years by the General Manager of the Board, O. Ndili, who is now retired.
Ndili had allegedly made persistent sexual advances but because of her courageous refusal she was summarily dismissed from duty before the GM was found guilty by the House and slammed a 22-year seizure of his gratuity on him.
The woman, a 53-year-old mother, The Eagle Online gathered, was inherited from the defunct Bendel State Public Service by the Delta State Government in 1991 after her names appeared as one of the officers inherited.
She fell victim shortly after she returned from her study leave in 1990.
She was not only denied her place in the Board, she was stopped from resuming duties by the the General Manager.
Upon her return from National Youth Service Corps scheme, instead of ordinarily being absorbed into service of the new Delta State Urban Water Board, the ‘amorous’ General Manager rebuffed her hand written letter, dated November 6, 1991, where she indicated interest to resume work.
According to the petitioner, all entreaties in a position letter to Ndili fell on deaf ears, as the GM was bent on strangulating the petitioner for refusing his advances.
Provoked by her victimisation, she petitioned the House on September 26, 2013, through the representative of Uvwie Constituency, Hon. Efe Godfrey Ofobruku.
In her petition, she sought declaration from the House to direct the Board to allow her resume duties “as it is the norm.”
An eight-man committee, headed by Hon. Joseph Oshevire and Dr. Stephen U. Okolo (Secretary), was immediately constituted by the House before the issues raised by the petitioner were considered to be germane and true.
Aside reinstating the petitioner, the House directed with immediate effect the General Manger of the Board to show evidence of compliance to its directive to the House within one month.
“That this honourable House directs the General Manager, Delta State Urban Water Board to as a matter of urgency re-absorb the petitioner, Mrs. Justina Chioma Okobia, into the service of the Board”, the lawmakers directed.
To serve as deterrent to others, the House resolved that the retired GM’s gratuity be seized for the same 22 years in order to make him go through the same pain he inflicted on the petitioner.
Trending
- Minister summons Lead British International School over bullying allegation
- Sex scandal : We won’t oppose any sanction against lecturer -UNN-ASUU
- Sanwo-Olu unveils EKO CARES
- UNN suspends lecturer for alleged sexual misconduct, begins probe
- Oyo LG honours Archbishop Ladigbolu, names road after late father, Akee Obayanritan
- Kogi Assembly blasts EFCC, demands removal of ‘wanted’ from Yahaya Bello’s name
- Zamfara: Passengers overpower bandits, kill one, seize two AK-47 rifles
- Aston Villa confirm new Unai Emery contract until 2027