Facts:

Mr. Charlse Davis, (Claimant) was an employee of West African Drydock Limited (Defendant). The Claimant was employed by the Defendant sometime in 2000, the said appointment was confirmed in 2002, and he rose to the rank of management staff. However, his employment was terminated in 2021 on the grounds of redundancy.

It was the case of the Claimant that upon the termination of his services with the Defendant, he is entitled to Redundancy Benefits in line with the terms and conditions of his employment entered in 2018 and in line with the conventional practices of the Defendant. It was his claim that he had been laid off, but the Defendant only paid the sum of N25,741,049.00 leaving the balance of N23,509,155.00 unpaid. Claimant alleged that the Defendant has consistently refused to pay the balance with other entitlements and benefits accruable to him despite several demands. The Claimant alleged that he signed a Collective Bargain Agreement in 2018 which without his knowledge had a life span of 2 years and expired before his appointment was terminated in 2021. The Claimant also claimed that he was misled by the Defendant into signing an undertaking when he collected his cheque and severance letter only to find out that it was not the actual amount that was due to him.

On the other hand, the case of the Defendant was that the Claimant was a staff of the Defendant and that his appointment was governed by the terms of his employment. However, that the Collective Agreement between Sea Trucks Group of Companies and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria dated did not apply to the Claimant as he did not belong to the category of employees Covered by the said Collective Agreement. The Defendant averred that the Claimant was not a junior nor an intermediate staff of the Defendant Company as at when his employment was terminated but was a Management Staff, a very senior staff. The Defendant contends that the claimant’s three (3) month salary in lieu of notice, end of year bonus and annual leave allowance together with his redundancy benefits as stated in the severance letter has been paid, as a total sum of N25,741,049.00 (Twenty- Five Million Seven Hundred and Forty-One Thousand and Forty-Nine Naira) was paid to the claimant which he accepted as full and final settlement of his redundancy and terminal benefits.