by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A staff of Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna, Mr. Kayode G. Obisanya, has raised alarm over alleged refusal of the hospital to reinstate him back to the institution in compliance with Court Judgment and Orders.
Mr. Abisanya, whose appointment was allegedly ‘illegally terminated’ in 2015, by a Medical Director of the hospital, challenged the matter at the National Industrial Court, Kaduna, through his Legal Counsel, Barrister Ibinola O.O.O. Meshacq, of A.T. Usman-Ibonola & Co.
In an interview with our Correspondent in Kaduna penultimate Tuesday, 22nd September, 2025, Mr. Abisanya explained that his appointment was illegally terminated in 2015, by then Medical Director of the Hospital, for doing nothing wrong.
Dissatisfied with the reason for the termination of his appointment, Mr. Kayode dragged the hospital management, headed by its Medical Director, to National Industrial Court in Kaduna, and got judgment and orders to be reinstated and paid all his arrears of salaries and promotion, after six years of legal battle in court.
According to Mr. Kayode, rather than complying with the court judgment and orders, the hospital management advised him to forget payment of all his salary arrears and promotion arrears, and resume work, giving reason that, the “hospital has no money to pay outstanding.”
He further said that the management threatened him with Appeal Court through their legal officer when he declined the advice to forget payment of salary arrears and promotion arrears; but they later went and appealed against the Industrial Court judgment.
He added that, the hospital persisted, saying that they also have the right of appeal, scaring him to note that appeal could take yet another years of adjournment, time consuming and money, advising him to take first option – to resume work – and forget payment of arrears, but Mr. Abisanya declined against all odds.
The hospital management, according to Mr. Abisanya, therefore, went to Appeal Court when he refused to heed to their advice to forget payment of arrears and promotion, but the Appeal Court upheld his judgment and dismissed their Appeal.
However, a letter addressed to the hospital Medical Director by counsels and solicitors to Mr. Abisanya, dated 22nd September 2025, directed that all terms of the judgment be complied within 30 days of delivery.
The letter obtained by our correspondent, entitled: ‘Re:enforcement of judgment in Suit No.NICN/ABJ/229/1015–MR. Kayode G. Abisanya v. Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna & Anor’ stated, “You’ll recall that our client instituted legal action at National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Kaduna, challenging the legality of his posting security office at the main entrance of the hospital premises of the 1st Defendant and his subsequent terminated and stoppage of salary from 1st Defendant, amongst others.”
Accordingly, it also added that, “On 9th November 2021, the Honourable Court delivered judgment in favour of our client. The court further directed that all terms of the judgment be complied within 30 days of delivery.
“However, the judgment was appealed to a Court of Appeal Holden at by the Defendant/Applicants in south no. CA/ABJ/PRE/REA/CV/85MI/2022. The appellate consequently gave judgment in favour of our client on the 20 June 2025, which dismissed the appeal.
“However, up till date, our client has not been reinstated nor have the mandatory component of the judgment been settled. We, therefore, demand the immediate and full compliance with the judgment of the court, now final and binding. In the light of the above, kindly confirm in writing, our client’s date of resumption.
“Ensure all outstanding entitlements and damages are processed without further delay. Failure to comply within seven days of this letter shall have our client no option but to initiate enforcement against all relevant parties. Please, treat with the urgency and seriousness it deserves,” it stated.
Contacted for clarification, the management staff of the hospital, who spoke through the spokesman, Mr. Haruna Usman, said the Psychiatric Hospital has no problem with reinstating Mr. Kayode Abisanya, attributing the delayed to lack of constituted board.
He also said that the total of court cases faced with the hospital was 17 in number when the new MD assumed office, and were, therefore, transferred to the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, and handled by the legal department of the ministry that now reserves the right to direct the implementation of the Court Judgment and Orders.
“With regards to Mr. Kayode’s issue, we, as a psychiatric hospital, we don’t have any reason not to reinstate him, but we have to get order. Like I said, you should know that we don’t have a board, right now.
“The board has not yet been constituted and, as you are rightly informed by the legal team of this hospital, the case had been transferred. It was not the only case. We have about 17 cases when the MD came to office.
“We are able to settle about four out-of-court cases, and the remaining one has been transferred to the mother Ministry. Know fully well that these cases have been there since 2015, and we have new management now.
“We have about two-to-three management before the coming of the present one. So, and since that time, they have been transferred to Ministry of Health; the legal officers in that ministry have been the ones involved in the case.
“The management has no problem with him being reinstated. The only thing is, we are waiting for order from the mother ministry, which is Federal Ministry of Health, the legal team, to say, to give us an order to reinstate him,” he said.
But the (alleged) illegally sacked staff, Mr Abisanya, told journalists a few days ago that he was “bounced back” on two occasions when he took the letter of reinforcement to both the Hospital and Ministry, even when the hospital alleged that it has furnished the mother Ministry with a letter attached with Kayode’s lawyer’s letter.