Concern over sacked BOWEN varsity staff as Baptist holds 2025 convention

 

As the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) prepares for its 2025 Annual Convention in Session, there is a growing concern among church members and other stakeholders over the plight of retrenched staff of Bowen university, Iwo.

Members of the church, who have many of the retrenched staff as fellow brethren at various parishes, are wondering whether the issue of their brethren’s controversial dismissal will be an issue for discussion during the high-level gathering.

The convention, scheduled to hold from April 26 to May 1 at the Baptist International Convention Centre, Lufuwape, Ogun State, is themed “Entering into Newness: Through Fasting and Prayer.”

While the spiritual focus of the event is not in question, some concerned members of the church think it would be ironic to speak of “newness” without confronting the alleged unresolved injustice the retrenched workers claim to have suffered under an institution owned by the same convention.

“To the best of my knowledge, I learnt some of those staff even went to court on the issue. While we preach newness as Christians, I think it will be a noble idea to address the plight of the affected staff, many of who are members of the church.“ A concerned Baptist told Newspeakonline.

The retrenchments, which occurred in December 2019 and June 2020, affected about 147 staff. This prompted 22 out of the disengaged staff to file separate suits at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan, in July 2021.

Documents filed at the National Industrial Court reveal that the complainants are challenging their dismissal on the grounds of lack of fair hearing, breach of contract, and failure to pay appropriate entitlements. They claimed that most of them were pioneer staff of the institution and are therefore qualified for entitlements and benefits.

In one of the originating summons, the claimants argue that their disengagement violated Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the right to a fair hearing. The court documents also accuse Bowen university of acting arbitrarily and failing to follow laid-down procedures as enshrined in the institution’s conditions of service.

“We’re not just asking for our jobs back. We are asking for justice, dignity, and for the Convention to live by the same moral standards it preaches,” said another affected staff member.

The university, in its defence, claimed it acted within its rights as an employer, citing restructuring and financial sustainability as reasons for the action.

However, the affected staff argue that their removal was selective, poorly executed, and without proper severance settlements.

Although the court is yet to deliver final judgement on the matter, the ongoing legal battle continues to draw attention from within and outside the Baptist community.

With thousands of members expected to attend the 2025 convention, it remains unclear whether NBC leadership will address the matter publicly.