The Rivers State Government has been ordered to reinstate 217 sacked workers of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state.
The presiding judge of the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt, Justice Polycarp Hamman, gave the order said the state government did not follow due process in the sacking of the affected staffers.
Recall that Amannah Peace and three others representing sacked workers from the Polytechnic formerly known as Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori, had dragged the Rivers State Government to court for unlawfully sacking them.
The claimants, who were employed in April 2015 during the administration of Rotimi Amaechi as academic and non-academic staff of the institution, claimed that they concluded their biometrics and had resumed work when they were informed that the entire exercise was cancelled by the Rivers State Government led by Governor Nyesom Wike.
But Justice Hamman, who ordered that the 217 workers be reinstated, also mandated the authorities to pay all their outstanding salaries.
Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, one of the lawyers for the sacked staff, Courage Nsirimovu, said it was clear that the Rivers State Government erred in its decision.
Nsirimovu advised the Rivers State Government not to appeal the judgment.
“Every party had the right to appeal. The moment court has said they should be reinstated, the status quo is that right now, they are employees of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic. Any person that harasses them will have to face the court for contempt proceedings,” he said.
