By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Three former Senior Managers of Odu’a Investment Company Limited on Thursday dragged the conglomerate to the National Industrial Court, Ibadan division over the non payment of their over N50million entitlements .
At the mentioning of the suit numbered NICN/IB/12/2018 ,one of the counsel to the three former workers of Odua Investment workers namely former Executive Director, Finance Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Alhaji Rasaki Adeniyi Badmus; former General Manager, Business Development Odu’a Investment Company Limited Mr. Bola Jaiyeola and former Managing Director Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Mr. Kayode Adenigba Barrister Olabisi Ibironke told the court that her clients retired about four years ago and have tried several ways to get the entitlements, hence the need for them to approach the with coury with the belief to sought relief.
Justice Opeloye Ogunbowa having listening to arguments of counsel to both the claimants and defendants adjourned the cases till April 26th for proper mentioning.
Speaking with newsmen at the premises of the court after the adjourment of the suit, the former Odu’a Investment workers said their decision to head for court after the failure of all their efforts, meeting with stakeholders and top personalities from the six states that owned the company (South Western states) to persuade the incumbent Group Managing Director of the company, Mr. Adewale Raji to pay their entitlements
Emphasizing that they were cautious of making the issue of non payment of their entitlement a media issue, they declared that with the unfolding events, they were left with no option than to approach the court to claim their entitlements.
One of the 3 former Odu’a Investment Managers Alhaji Badmus who retired in June 2014 in the claim sheet number NICN/IB/12/2018 stated that he approached the court to seek for the payment of the sum of N26, 545,267.40, his final entitlements, Mr. Adenigba who retired in December 2014 on the other hand in his claim sheet number NICN/IB/13/2018 approached the industrial court for the payment of the sum of N19, 575,069.77 while Mr. Jaiyeola who retired in June 2014 in his own claim sheet number NICN/IB/11/2018 said he had no option than to approach the court for payment of N4,268,697.89, his final entitlements.
However, the Odua Investment
Head of Corporate Affairs , Mr. Victor Ayetoro in a statement declared that the company was surprised that the ex-staff had dragged it to court despite continuoues engagements with them.
According to Mr Ayetoro, the delay in the payment of their entitlements was as a result of the serious financial issue Western Hotel (Premier Hotel and Lafia Hotel) the subsidiaries of the company is currently undergoing., adding that
Odu’a Investment Company Limited as a parent company came to the aid of the Western Hotels by seeking for loan to refurbish the hotels as well as settle these outstanding liabilities.”he said.
The Odua Investment Head of Corporate Affairs added that “the Ex-staff (Badmus, Jayeola, Adedipe, Salami, Aderinto, Oyeleke and Adenigba) were employed into the services of Premier Hotel, a subsidiary of Odu’a Investment Company Limited. As senior managers, they were deployed at various times to serve in the Management Team of sister Hotels, Lagos Airport Hotel Limited, Lafia Hotel and Head office.”
“Upon retirement from services of Odu’a, their gratuities were computed and apportioned based on the years of service in each subsidiary company they worked and that of Head office. To date, the Head office and Lagos Airport Hotel Lagos with the exemption of Western Hotels (Premier and Lafia) have settled their outstanding.”
He maintained that “unfortunately, Western Hotel (Premier Hotel and Lafia Hotel) is currently undergoing serious financial issue and have appealed for their patience” saying,
“Odu’a Investment Company Limited as a parent company came to the aid of the Western Hotels by seeking for loan to refurbish the hotels as well as settle these outstanding liabilities.”
“Five banks approached for loan facility to the Hotel are yet to respond. However, considering the time they retired and to demonstrate commitment to honour the promise to pay in 2017, Odu’a pressurized Western Hotel to raise some amount of money which was paid to all the ex-staff in December 2017. We have also continually engage with the ex-staff; it is therefore surprising that they have dragged Odu’a Investment Company Limited to court.”
