A former employee of TotalEnergies, Mrs. Oghenero Ozobeme, has accused the company of obstructing her ongoing legal actions regarding her alleged wrongful termination.
She has also expressed frustration over delays in the approval of her appeal against a ruling by the National Industrial Court.
Mrs. Ozobeme claims her employment was improperly terminated in 2018, prompting her to sue TotalEnergies. She revealed that she underwent brain surgery, which was financed by her husband.
In an urgent message sent to the media, Ozobeme recounted that on April 30, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she received a notification from TotalEnergies stating that her services were no longer needed. This letter was reportedly sent after the company was subpoenaed to appear in court.
“The termination letter was delivered to my home on April 29, 2020, while COVID-19 restrictions were in place,” she stated. “It came from the Managing Director, and on that very day, my line manager had assigned me tasks to complete while I was working from home.”
Reports indicate that Mrs. Ozobeme’s legal battle culminated in the National Industrial Court case No: NICN/LA/186/2018, during which she alleged corporate misconduct and medical negligence.
She contends that TotalEnergies and its legal representatives have attempted to manipulate the judicial process by presenting falsified information. Unsatisfied with the National Industrial Court’s decision, Ozobeme alleges that her efforts to appeal the ruling have been thwarted.
In a recent statement to the media, she not only expressed her discontent with the court’s decision but also accused the court of obstructing her attempts to appeal. Ozobeme claimed she filed an application for leave to appeal (CA/LAG/PRE/ROA/CV/407M1/24), but has been denied a court date for over six months.
She criticized the court’s judgment, saying it was based on flawed premises that resulted in a significant miscarriage of justice. She disputed the court’s assertion that the Voluntary Severance Package (VSP) is a retirement and resignation option initiated by employees, arguing it was not mentioned in her employment contract or relevant labor statutes.
Ozobeme stated that the 2020 VSP was never presented in court and emphasized that she did not choose to apply for it, as she claimed the court erroneously determined.
She has requested a mandatory injunction from the National Industrial Court to restore her to her pre-termination status, asserting that her dismissal was unjust and occurred while her case was still pending before Honourable Justice Paul Bassi JCA.
Additionally, she has filed a complaint with the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, seeking an investigation into the legal proceedings.
Ozobeme remains committed to her cause, calling for support from those who advocate for human dignity and justice for individuals affected by medical negligence, particularly women facing unjust treatment due to their reproductive capabilities.
As of the time of this report, attempts to reach TotalEnergies spokesperson Noble Ikpami for a response have not yielded a reply.
