Justice O. A. Ogunbowale of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Asaba, Delta State, has adjourned further hearing in the suit filed against Ibeto Group and seven other affiliated companies till March 18, 2025.
Ibeto Group and seven other affiliated companies were dragged before the court by Eze Sunday Eze, the former Group Financial Controller of the companies over alleged unpaid salary and the cessation of his retirement entitlements.
The companies listed as defendants in the law suit, numbered NICN/AWK/04/2023, include Ibeto Group, Ibeto Industries Limited, Ibeto Petrochemical Industries Limited, Ibeto Hotels Limited, and Ibeto Cement Limited.
Others were Max Shipping Services Limited, Union Auto Parts Manufacturing Company Limited, and Odoh Holding Limited.
At the last hearing of the suit on February 5, R O Okonyia from Juri Chambers appeared for the claimant, while Gideon Ugwuanyi from Ikpeazu Chambers appeared for the defendants. The counsel for the defendants applied for leave of court to file their process and there was no opposition from the counsel for the claimant.
Subsequently, the trial judge, Justice Ogunbowale adjourned the case till March 18, 2025 for further mention.
The claimant in his statement of claim attached to the suit gave detail of what made him to resign from company and how his various attempts to get his salary and retirement benefit fail.
Eze’s claim stated that he was employed as the Group Financial Controller by the Ibeto Group, with an offer dated November 6, 2001, and that his appointment took effect from December 1, 2001. He served the defendants in this capacity for 19 years.
Eze alleged that on May 21, 2021, Dr. Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, Chairman/CEO of the defendants, convened a meeting attended by him, the Group Executive Director for Operations and Investments, Eze Echesi, and the Group Chief Internal Auditor, Ben-Oscar Nwachukwu.
According to the claimant, during the meeting, Dr. Ibeto informed them that one of the company’s clients had made an initial payment of N2.7 billion for the first two years of a tenancy agreement for the Ibeto Terminal in Port Harcourt.
Eze further claims that Dr. Ibeto stated that he planned to settle his outstanding salary of N17,861,995.54, which was owed up to April 30, 2021, in three or more installments.
Additionally,. Ibeto allegedly informed him that his salary would be reduced to half starting May 2021 for an initial period of six months, after which the arrangement would be reviewed.
As a result, Eze stated that he chose to formally retired from his position and requested that all outstanding emoluments up to the date of his disengagement be paid.
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Crime rate drops in Imo as Govt assures of increased support to police,others
In spite of the orchestrated report of insecurity in Imo State, statistics has proved that the police are actually gaining the upper hand against criminals in the state.
In fact, it has been established that the crime rate has drastically reduced from what it used to be when Governor Hope Uzodimma assumed office in 2020 and now after his five years in office.
The Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba attributed the progress to modern strategies adopted by the police in combating criminals and the continued logistics support by the state government.
According to him, statistics released by the Imo state command indicated that reported cases of armed robbery dropped to 391 last year as against 502 obtained in 2022.
Within the same period under review, he said, the number of recovered ammunition rose to 2242 in 2024 as against 1,142 in 2020.
The Commissioner also noted that the police secured hundreds of convictions while a number of suspcted criminals were neutralized during gun battles.
According to him, a large number of kidnapped victims were also rescued by the police within the period under review.
“ I am happy to inform Imo people that contrary to the insinuations by misguided elements, reported cases of insecurity has been dropping drastically from what it was in 2020 and the end of last year “, he submitted.
He said the quantum of arrests made by the police, the number of conviction of criminals and the large caches of arms and ammunitions recovered including number of kidnapped victims rescued confirm that the police are winning the war on insecurity in Imo State.
Emelumba noted that unlike in 2020, when criminals went on rampage with 422 reported armed robbery cases, the police quickly mobilized to force them into a retreat, with the number reducing to 388 the next year.
He also reported that the number of murder cases went down to 102 in 2023 from 131 in 2020.
He disclosed that the state government has been consistent in its support to the police and security agencies so as to make Imo safe for the citizenry and investors.
While commending the police and other security forces for their gallant efforts to combat criminality in the state, Emelumba appealed to the citizens to assist them with useful information to make their jobs easier.