Isheno v. Julius Berger [2008]

“An employer who hires an employee under the common law has the corresponding right to fire him at anytime, even without assigning any reason for so doing. He must however fire him within the four walls of the contract between them. Where the employer fires an employee in compliance with the terms and conditions of their contract of employment, there is nothing the court can do as such termination is valid in the eyes of the law. It is only where the employer in terminating or dispensing with the services of an employee, does so without due regard to the terms and conditions of the contract of employment between the parties that problems arise as such a termination is usually not tolerated by the courts and are, without hesitation, usually declared wrongful and appropriate measure of damages awarded to the plaintiff.”

~ Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, CJN, GCON

(immediate past CJN, born 22 December 1950)