Court Orders UBA to Pay N12.5 Million for Wrongful Termination of Employee’s Contract

The National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt has deemed the 2014 termination of Mr. Patrick’s employment by United Bank for Africa (UBA) as wrongful and ordered the bank to pay compensation totalling N12.5 million in a landmark ruling,

Justice Zaynab Bashir found that UBA breached the employment contract by failing to provide proper notice or payment in lieu of notice at the time of termination. The court awarded Mr. Patrick N8.25 million for two-time recognition as a role model in the bank’s appraisal reports, N2.25 million for outstanding performance recognition, and N2 million in general damages.

The case stemmed from Mr. Patrick’s employment as a Senior Banking Officer at UBA from August 2008 until his termination in January 2014. His legal team successfully argued that the termination ground of “service no longer required” violated UBA’s Disciplinary Process and Sanctions Policy.

While the court ruled in Mr. Patrick’s favor regarding the wrongful termination, it dismissed his claim for N75 million in damages related to alleged inhumane treatment and psychological trauma, finding insufficient evidence to support these allegations.

The bank has been ordered to make the full payment within 30 days of the judgment. UBA had maintained throughout the proceedings that Mr. Patrick’s services were no longer required and claimed his terminal benefits had been duly paid, but the court found this insufficient to justify the manner of termination.