Prison officer sue Nigerian Prisons Service after dem deny am promotion for 20 years

Longinus Njoku, wey be prison officer with Imo State command of the Nigerian Prison Service, don institute action for the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Imo State division, against the Controller General of the Nigerian Prisons and the Chairman, Board of trustees, Nigerian Prisons Service, on top several acts of victimization and injustice against am. 



In his statement of claims, as e dey inside suit No.:NICN/ OW/54/2017, show say for em 32 years of service, dem no place am under any disciplinary action and he never indict for any act of professional misconduct but dem deny am em statutory promotions for the last 20 years. 

Njoku wey earn em last promotion for 1996 dem only elevate am as upgrade to another rank in 2014, exercise wey he consider as demotion because the rank of Senior Inspector Prisons wey dem give am for 2014 na rank wey em don due for for year 1999.

But before the upgrade in 2014 wey he believe say na bad faith, Njoku averred say dem purposely hold am down for one particular rank for a period of 20 years without any promotion. The upgrade in year 2014 na through one letter wey no gree address the outstanding promotions and arrears of 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2001 and 2014. As dem deny Njoku for promotions for 20 years, dem also no pay am em due arrears of annual leave for seven (7) years.

The statement also yan say dem subject Njoku to some punitive transfers both interstate and inter-regional. Dem transfer am 10 times in record time, with all the corresponding financial attachments to the various transfers wey dem deny..

Njoku state say the whole thing start after dem officially invite am to appear before the Hon. Justice Onumajulu’s Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Owerri riots and disturbances of September 24 and 25, 1996, wey dem also know as Otokoto crisis.

Consequently, Njoku don ask the court to order say make dem upgrade to em rightful rank and say make dem pay am the sum of N16.8m as outstanding statutory arrears ontop say dem no gree promote am for the period of 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017.

He also dey pray the court make dem order the Nigerian Prison Service to pay am N700, 000 as em statutory arrears on leave allowance for seven years; N500, 000 as statutory allowances for the several interstate and regional transfers wey dem subject am to for different times. He also demand N20m for general damage for non-payment of compensation, ontop the accident wey give am permanent disability and for the physical and emotional trauma wey em suffer for 20 years and above for stagnated promotions.