Court orders redeployment of over 1,000 Kano health workers

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Kano branch has ordered the state government to redeploy over 1000 health workers back to the Kano State Hospital Management Board (KSHMB). The court also ordered for the refund of 27 months deductions made as a result of illegal deployment to the complainants. Delivering the judgment in suit filed […]

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Kano branch has ordered the state government to redeploy over 1000 health workers back to the Kano State Hospital Management Board (KSHMB).

The court also ordered for the refund of 27 months deductions made as a result of illegal deployment to the complainants.

Delivering the judgment in suit filed before the court, the presiding judge, Justice E. B. E. Isiele ruled that “the defendants are hereby ordered to return forthwith, the affected claimants (those transferred unlawfully) to the health management board of Kano state and the money deducted from their salaries and other entitlements also be returned to them accordingly.”

The affected health workers rushed to court to seek redress regarding a circular No. 11/2016 dated September 6, 2016, issued by the office of the state head of civil service ordering their deployment from the KSHMB to other ministries thereby changing their salary scale from Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS) to Harmonized Public Service Salary Scale (HAPSS).

Earlier, counsel to the claimants, Barrister Suraj Sabo Ali informed the court that, his clients were entitled to continue enjoying CONHESS, being employees of the KSHMB.

Ali argued that having been employed by the state hospital management board, pursuant to Hospital Management Board edict 1995, his clients were not subjected to any circular or directives given by the state head of service.

The Defense Counsel, Barrister Mukhtar Sani Daneji, who is Solicitor General of the state, assured that Kano state government would review the judgment before it could make its stand on whether it would appeal the judgment or not.