Despite the repute of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global non-governmental body that helps to rebuild people affected by humanitarian crises, there is an allegation that same organisation is built on a mindset of “white supremacy” that perpetuates “racism” against staffers in its workplace.

Reacting to the racism accusations, the IRC’s Senior Human Resource Coordinator, Aamir Fida, however, denied that such culture exist in the organisation.

Fida, who said he had barely spent two years in IRC acknowledged he was aware about a case that was registered against the company prior to his resumption in office.

His words: “..there is no discriminations against anyone regardless of their age, gender, race, status or anything, this is not true at all.

“I don’t know who brought the complaint and I don’t know why he is saying this because we never had such things (racism) before, in our organization there is a very open and very transparent environment and we are responsible to everyone and everyone is leaving on equal level and that is our culture and I don’t know why he saying that because there is no any incident like that.”

“If it is going to be complained about and after an investigation if all the allegations and all the evidence are established and it contravenes our moral conduct, a very strict punishment is given to the perpetrator.”

“I am only just one and half year with the organization I don’t know what happened in that case but I was told that the case was registered against IRC but I don’t know the parties to that case”

This is coming, nearly four years after the International Rescue Committee (IRC) went to the Court of Appeal in Abuja to appeal a judgment by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), ordering it to pay its former staff named, Daniel Bassey over discrimination and wrongful termination of his employment contract without following IRC’s international policy standard – there seems to be little or no progress in the matter.

The judgment delivered in 2017 by Justice Edith Agbakoba of NICN in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/102/2015 between Dr. Daniel Etim Bassey (claimant) and International Rescue Committee Nigeria (Defendant) seeking reliefs held that the claimant’s appointment (Bassey) was constructively wrongfully terminated.

Agbakoba ruled that IRC pay Bassey N3,300,000:00 (Three Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira) being the balance of six (6) months salary due him under fixed term contract which was wrongly terminated.

Following the judgment which was delivered exactly on 13/12/2017 IRC filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Suit CA/A/62/2018 but they seem to be reluctant in prosecuting the appeal.

*How Bassey Secured NICN Judgement against IRC*

S.S Mshelia, Counsel to the claimant, had on 24th April, filed for declaration that the abrupt termination of the claimant’s employment contract by the Defendant was without justification, thereby amounting to a breach of contract.

A Declaration that the termination of the Claimant’s employment contract by the Defendant is against IRC Nigerian Country Programme National Staff Employment Policies 2014 thereby amounting to a breach of Contract.

These submissions went through legal tussle for two years and in 2017 Justice Edith Agbakoba of NICN delivered the judgement in favour of the claimant.

*Appellant’s Counsel, Rotimi Denies Delaying Appellate Court Proceedings*

Rotimi Esq. said the matter is in court. “…nobody can drag the matter in court” he said. He added that “if the court fix a day for a matter, the matter will be heard that day.” Rotimi said.

According to Aamir Fida, the Senior Human Resource Coordinator, “IRC has a policy of due process following termination”, which was apparently not applied in this matter. And since 2017, IRC applied to the appellate court for a reversal of the judgement of NICN which favours Dr. Bassey, very insignificant progress has been made. It’s four years now and the respondent believes that the injustice he received by the IRC will not have occurred if he was of a different race and the matter would have reached a rapid conclusion.