A former employee of Alpha-Beta Consulting LLP, Oluwasegun Oluwasanmi, has instituted legal proceedings against the tax consulting firm and two of its senior officials before the National Industrial Court in Lagos, alleging years of workplace harassment, discrimination, and victimisation that he claims ultimately forced him to resign.
In the suit, filed through his counsel, Barrister Mobolaji Akintunde, Oluwasanmi is seeking N500 million in general damages over alleged unfair labour practices, constructive dismissal, breach of contract, and consequential losses.
The defendants are Alpha-Beta Consulting LLP, Group Managing Director Otunba Akinsanya Doherty, and Human Resources Manager Anjolaoluwa Ige-Amusan.
According to the court filings, Oluwasanmi joined the company on September 3, 2018, as Manager, Risk Control. In January 2022, he was redeployed as Unit Head, Security and Risk Management, a position subsequently redesignated as Head, Information Security.
He told the court that he remained in the role until what he described as his forced resignation, which took effect in January 2025.
Oluwasanmi claimed he discharged his responsibilities diligently throughout his employment and was never disciplined for misconduct. Instead, he said he received commendations, certificates of honour, and financial rewards for exposing fraud, strengthening internal controls, and identifying operational irregularities.
Among his achievements, he alleged that he helped the company recover or avert financial losses by identifying cloud service overpayments, exposing irregular payments involving a software vendor, and raising concerns over a N19.39 million payment to a supplier that allegedly failed to deliver network equipment.
However, he claimed his difficulties began after he reported procurement irregularities and recommended disciplinary action against members of the finance department.
According to the claimant, some finance personnel allegedly vowed that he “would not be forgiven” for implicating them in audit findings, resulting in years of intimidation, humiliation, and victimisation.
He further alleged that the hostile work environment adversely affected his mental health, leaving him depressed and, at one point, leading him to attempt suicide before he eventually resigned “to save his life.”
Oluwasanmi also accused the company of discriminatory treatment under its healthcare scheme. He alleged that although he occupied the same grade level as other unit and department heads, he was placed on a lower-tier Health Maintenance Organisation plan.
According to him, the disparity became evident in February 2021 when he suffered severe stomach complications and was allegedly prevented from accessing immediate treatment at his preferred hospital despite the managing director’s approval.
The claimant further alleged repeated workplace humiliation through office allocations, claiming he was assigned offices that were unsuitable for his rank despite suitable vacant spaces being available.
He told the court that after returning from an official trip to South Africa in 2023, his office had been reassigned to another employee, leaving him without a workspace for six days until he reminded the Human Resources Manager via WhatsApp.
According to the suit, he was subsequently relocated to what he described as a cramped, poorly ventilated office previously used as a store, while his deputy occupied a larger office.
Oluwasanmi also alleged discrimination in staff welfare, claiming his unit received a smaller imprest allocation than units headed by junior officers.
He further claimed that his name was omitted from the company’s September 2023 birthday recognition list, delaying payment of his birthday allowance. He also alleged that the company refused to reimburse his 170-dollar Certified Information Systems Auditor subscription fee despite approving similar reimbursements for other employees.
The claimant challenged the company’s promotion and salary review process, alleging that colleagues who had previously occupied lower grade levels were promoted above him following a restructuring exercise in November 2023.
He argued that his salary increase was lower than that of his deputy and could not have been based on performance because his appraisal was conducted after the salary review had already taken effect.
Oluwasanmi further alleged that Alpha-Beta unlawfully withheld salaries totalling N8.76 million between April and August 2023, deducted N1.89 million from his salary as employer pension contributions contrary to the Pension Reform Act 2014, and failed to pay salary earned between January 1 and January 7, 2025.
He is asking the court to declare that the defendants’ actions amounted to constructive dismissal and unfair labour practice, compel the payment of the withheld salaries and pension deductions, order reimbursement of his professional subscription fee, award his salaries and benefits from January 2025 until judgment, and grant N500 million in general damages.
The claimant is also seeking N2 million as the cost of the suit, 10 per cent pre-judgment interest, and 21 per cent post-judgment interest until the judgment sum is fully paid.
The defendants have yet to file a response before the court.
