By TAIYE AGBAJE

Mrs Asher Uwem, an Assistant Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has sued the apex bank over alleged unlawful termination of her appointment.

Uwem, in a suit, sought an order reinstating her to her position “as the purported termination was contrary to the provisions of the Human Resources Policies and Procedure Manual of the defendant (CBN).”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prior to her sack, the claimant was the Head, Facility Management Division of the apex bank.

In the suit, marked: NICN/ABJ/275/2026, filed by her lawyer, Reuben Atabo, SAN, at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, the claimant sought 10 reliefs with three alternative prayers.

Uwem sought a declaration that the letter of termination of employment dated May 14, issued by CBN to her, terminating her appointment as assistant director without any justifiable reason whatsoever, violated the Human Resources Policies and Procedure Manual of the bank.

She urged the court to declare that her disengagement was in contravention of the CBN Act 2007 CAP C4 Laws of the Federation 2004 and was, therefore, wrongful, unlawful, unfair, unconstitutional, null and void.

She sought an order “setting aside the purported letter of termination of employment and letter of suspension dated the 14th day of May, 2026 and 20th June, 2025 respectively, for being perverse, wrongful, unlawful, unfair, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

She sought an order directing the bank to pay her salaries and allowances from the date of termination up till the time of the judgment and thereafter until her full retirement age.

Alternatively, Uwem sought an order directing the CBN to pay the sum of N5 billion as exemplary or aggravated damages for the humiliation, embarrassment and psychological trauma caused her for the alleged wrongful sack.

The claimant, who sought an order compelling the apex bank to pay N500 million as general damages, prayed the court for an order directing the defendant to pay the cost of litigation.

In her statement of claims, Uwem averred that she was appointed by the bank as Senior Supervisor on a commencing salary of CBSS 09 Step 01 per annum on Feb. 9, 2004, and was confirmed on May 3, 2004 after being satisfied with her performance.

She said since she carried out her duties conscientiously and diligently, she was promoted from the rank of Senior Supervisor to Assistant Manager with effect from Jan. 1, 2007, in recognition of her performance.

She said she was subsequently promoted from the rank of Assistant Manager to Manager with effect from Oct. 1, 2011.

She said between Feb. 1, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2023, she rose from Senior Manager, Principal Manager to Assistant Director.

She said sometime on June 20, 2025, she was issued a letter of suspension on the basis of false allegations of unethical practices.

The claimant said the “purported letter of suspension” was signed by an acting director, Human Resources Management Department.

Uwem submitted that this was contrary to the provisions of Paragraph 18.7.7g of the Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual of CBN which required the deputy governor, Corporate Services, to sign such letter of suspension.

Besides, she said this was also contrary to the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Sgt. Bala Akawu VS. Nigerian Army (2024) 15 NWLR (PT 1962) 447.

She said she was invited by a letter dated June 27, 2025, to appear as a witness before the Inter-Departmental Investigation Panel and “investigated the false allegations” made against her.

She said though she was issued a query on July 22, 2025, on the ground that she was involved in unethical practices, she “denied the spurious, baseless, unfounded and false allegations of unethical practices and breach of trust.”

She said under her schedule of duties as Head, Facility Management Division at PSSD, she did not have the authority to engage any contractor to conduct assessment and bid projects.

Uwem said she “did not, at any point in time directly or indirectly, engage Mr Gabriel Ademumi or any contractor to conduct assessment and bid for projects either at Maiduguri, Abuja or any other branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

According to her, the claimant did not have any chosen vendor nor did the claimant at any point in time direct the Service Coordinator of Abuja branch to receive and process proposals for jobs in Abuja branch without giving total facility managers the right of first refusal.

“Total facility managers had already been appointed by CBN before the deployment of the claimant to the department and jobs have been given to them annually subject to satisfactory performance and record.

“Thus, Mr Gabriel Ademumi (Mr Qualify) could not have been chosen over a total facility manager.

“The claimant never directed, allowed nor permitted the submission or resubmission of ten project proposals or any number from Abuja branch of CBN (the defendant), which significantly inflated amounts after initial quotations resulting in increase of N251 million or 67%.”

Uwem said there was no resubmission of the project proposals done with her knowledge or by her consent as she did not have the power to approve or influence the outcome of any project proposal.

She insisted that she never directed, allowed nor permitted the submission of three quotations or any number by a vendor for any project in Abuja branch or for Maiduguri branch.

“The submissions of quotations are handled by the service coordinator,” she clarified.

She also denied collecting the sum of $500 dollars or any sum at all as a gift from Ms Saidu Sadiya, Managing Director, Aurum Facility Management Company Limited.

She further said that the issuance of query to her on July 22, 2025, after her suspension on June 20, 2025 was done in breach of her right to fair hearing.

She described the act as “absurd and unreasonable as the claimant was denied the opportunity of responding to the false allegation made against her prior to her suspension.”

Uwem averred that despite serving the CBN meritoriously, conscientiously and diligently for over 21 years, her employment was terminated on May 14.

She said this was done in gross contravention of CBN’s guidelines on employment and the extant labor regulations as well as the Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual of the bank.

Uwem, who said that she relied heavily on her salary from the apex bank employment for her livelihood and that of her family, said her unexpected sack for no reason had rendered her incapable of paying the school fees of her children nor attend to their basic needs.

“The claimant said she suffered great emotional and psychological damage occasioned by the illegal and wrongful termination of her appointment despite years of diligent service,” she told the court. (NAN)

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