The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has begun hearing a fresh suit filed by sacked employees of Plateau State tertiary institutions against Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang and the affected institutions, challenging what they described as their unlawful termination.
Speaking shortly after the court session, counsel to the claimants, Barr. Nantok Dashuwar, explained that the case arose from the mass employment conducted by the immediate past administration of former Governor Simon Bako Lalong in 2022, which was later terminated by the current administration.
According to Dashuwar, the court had earlier ruled in favor of the workers in a previous suit, declaring their initial dismissal unlawful and ordering their reinstatement. However, only a few days after their reinstatement, the affected institutions once again terminated their appointments — a move he described as “illegal and invalid.”
“Today marks the first appearance for the cases involving the Plateau State Polytechnic (Lapoli) and the College of Education, Gindiri,” Dashuwar stated. “The matter has now been adjourned to December 9, 2025, for hearing.”
He further stressed that the latest round of dismissals violated due process and the conditions of service governing employment in the institutions. “We are saying that the termination is unlawful, it is illegal, and it is invalid,” he emphasized, maintaining that the defendants failed to follow proper legal procedures before dismissing the workers.
The sacked employees, who were reinstated by court order before being dismissed again, are seeking justice and full implementation of the earlier ruling that favored them.
The case, presided over by Honorable Justice S.I. Galadima at the National Industrial Court, is expected to continue later this year, as the claimants remain hopeful that the judiciary will uphold their rights.
