Akure: A former Territory Manager with Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Ntima Anya, has brought a case against the multinational beverage company, Guinness Nigeria Plc, before the National Industrial Court in Akure. Anya is seeking N100 million in damages over what he describes as the wrongful, unlawful, and inhumane termination of his employment.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the defendants in the suit are Guinness Nigeria Plc and Moshood Adejoro, Anya’s former Line Manager who remains an employee with the company. During the hearing on Tuesday, the claimant, through his counsel Mr. Samuel Nmesi, presented 36 documentary exhibits in evidence before Justice K.D. Damulak. The court accepted all documents and scheduled further proceedings for November 27, when the defence counsel, Mr. Ade Abioye, will conduct a cross-examination.
Anya, who served as Territory Manager for Ilorin/Offa, alleged that his dismissal on October 30, 2020, was a result of bias, witch-hunt, and unprofessional conduct by his immediate supervisor, Mr. Moshood Adejoro, and other top officials of Guinness Nigeria. He claimed that despite submitting a medical report indicating dangerously high blood pressure, the company denied his requests for annual or sick leave.
He further alleged that he was forced to work during the COVID-19 lockdown and compelled to sell nearly expired Dubic Malt products, actions he said jeopardized his health and professional integrity. Anya argued that his dismissal breached labor regulations and claimed his company assets were seized publicly, and his termination letter was signed under duress at a distributor’s outlet in Ilorin.
Anya accused the firm of denying him access to proper medical care, forcing him out of the hospital on the day his employment was terminated, and dismissing his hypertensive condition as ‘ordinary sickness.’ He stated his health deteriorated rapidly following the incident, leading to severe sight problems requiring corrective lenses.
He urged the court to declare the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), cited by the company as grounds for his dismissal, as fraudulent and never formally initiated. Anya presented internal emails showing inconsistencies in the PIP timelines, suggesting deliberate intent to mislead the court.
The claimant submitted several exhibits, including medical reports, ECG scans, referral letters to cardiologists, commendation letters, salary review documents, and corporate awards for excellence received in 2019 and 2020, arguing these records demonstrated his strong performance before dismissal. Among the documents was a death certificate for his mother, who he claimed died due to his inability to afford her medication after his dismissal, and a Certified True Copy of a previous court judgment where another former employee, Bright Nwosu, won against Guinness Nigeria at the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt in 2023.
Anya’s counsel described Guinness’s actions as ‘an attempted homicide’ due to the health risks and psychological trauma inflicted on his client, stating the case was about not only justice for one man but also ending a pattern of abuse of power within the organization.