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Introduction & Claims The Claimant, by his General Form of Complaint dated 23/7/15 commenced this action against the Defendant. By his amended Form 1, statement of facts and other frontloaded processes dated 13/2/17, the Claimant sought the following reliefs against the Defendants - 1. An order of this Honourable Court mandating the Defendants to pay the Claimant the sum of =N=1,647,878.11 (One Million, Six Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy Eight Naira Eleven Kobo) being the Claimant's outstanding entitlements with the Defendants. 2. The sum of =N=1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) only as general damages and cost of this suit. The Claimant filed all the processes as required by the Rules of Court along with his originating process. Tokunbo Olagoke, of Counsel entered an appearance for the Defendants on 14/8/15. Despite the fact that the Defendants were always served hearing notices in this case, they did not file any defence and indeed from 23/5/17 when this matter was adjourned to 11/10/17 for hearing the Defendants were not represented by Counsel in Court. 2. Case of the Claimant The Claimant opened his case on 11/10/17 when he testified in chief as CW1. Witness adopted his witness deposition dated 13/2/17 as his evidence in chief and tendered 11 documents as exhibits. The documents tendered were admitted in evidence and marked as Exh. C1-Exh. C11 respectively. The case of the Claimant as revealed by his statement on oath is that he worked for and subsequently resigned his appointment with the Defendants; that the 2nd Defendant acknowledged receipt of his letter of resignation and by a letter dated 20/2/15 promised to pay him his 2 months' salary/leave entitlement and 2 months' basic salary in lieu of notice as stipulated in his letter of employment; that his total entitlement from the Defendants is =N=2,249,109.20; that after filing this suit, the Defendants paid his outstanding pension contribution and deductions to his Pension Fund Administrator; that the Defendants also on 25/7/16 issued a cheque in the sum of =N=601,231.90 to him being part payment of his entitlements from the Defendants and that his outstanding entitlement with the Defendants is in the sum of =N=1,647,878.11 which the Defendants have refused to pay till date. The Defendants did not appear in Court to cross examine the Claimant and neither did they appear to defend this suit. The Defendants also did not file any final written address. 3. Submission of Counsel Learned Counsel to the Claimant filed a three and a half page final written address on 19/6/18. Counsel set down a lone issue for determination as follows - Whether the Claimant is entitled to the reliefs he seeks in this suit. Arguing this lone issue, learned Counsel submitted that the crux of this case is whether the Claimant has placed before the Court sufficient evidence to show that he is entitled to the reliefs he is claiming; that it is for he who asserts to prove same citing VeePee Industry Limited v. Coca Industry Limited (2008)All FWLR (Pt. 425) 1667 & Jalasin v. Bamb]gboye (2010)12 SCNJ 315. Counsel submitted that the Claimant has discharged the burden of proof on him and that the burden has shifted to the Defendants citing Abdullahi Hassani & Anor. v. Eberechukwu Ogbuokiri (2004)All FLWR (Pt. 203) 2149; the combined effect of Claimant's testimony and the exhibits tendered laid credence to the claims sought. Counsel prayed the Court to grant all the reliefs sought. 4. Decision There is evidence of service of all processes in this case on the Defendants. I note that indeed the Defendants were at some point represented by one Okechukwu Okereke, of Counsel. While a memorandum of appearance was filed, no other court process was filed by the Defendants in this case. There is also evidence of service of hearing notices on the Defendants. In the absence of any defence process, it means for all intents and purposes that this case is neither defended nor contested. The truth of the matter is that a party cannot be compelled by the Court to defend a suit in which it is sued. See A. Ameh A. Akpa Diga v. Adam Tony (2013) LPELR-20768 (CA). Refusal to defend a suit no doubt may translate to mean readiness to comply with the outcome. However, notwithstanding the absence of defence, the burden of proof remains on the Claimant to discharge. Thus the absence of defence does not translate to automatic judgment. See Mr. gabriel Uleke & Anor. v. Princess Benedict A. Kakwa & Anor. (2013) LPELR-20819 (CA). I have read and understood all the processes as filed by the Claimant including the final written address of his Counsel. I listened patiently to the testimony of the Claimant at trial, watched his demeanor and carefully evaluated all the exhibits tendered and admitted. I also heard the oral argument of the learned Counsel to the Claimant. Having done this, I set a lone issue down for determination of this case as follows - Whether the Claimant is entitled to the reliefs he seeks in this suit. It is a trite law and generally accepted that the burden is on he who asserts to discharge. Both the case law and the statute law are in agreement on this state of the law. The first relief sought by the Claimant is for an order of this Honourable Court mandating the Defendants to pay him the sum of =N=1,647,878.11 (One Million, Six Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy Eight Naira Eleven Kobo) being his outstanding entitlements with the Defendants. In proof of this claim the Claimant testified among others that upon resignation, the Defendants promised to pay him the 2 months salary/leave entitlement and 2 months' basic salary in lieu of notice as stipulated in his letter of employment; the total entitlement due to him was the sum of =N=2,249,109.20; and that on 25/7/16 the Defendants issued a cheque in the sum of =N=601,231.90 to him as part payment of his entitlement with the Defendants. In proof of these assertions, the Claimant tendered 11 exhibits in all. In particular is Exh. C7 - Acceptance of Resignation, Exh. C8 - End of Service Clearance Form and Exh. C11 - a copy of Access Bank Cheque dated 25/7/16 in the sum of =N=601,231-90. There is no challenge to the averments of the Claimant. There is also no challenge to the exhibits tendered by him in support of his case. The law is trite that a Court of law is entitled to rely and act on unchallenged piece of evidence. See Efona v. Anumba & Ors. (2016) LPELR-41527. I accept the unchallenged evidence as put forward by the Claimant. I find and hold that the Claimant has proved his entitlement to the sum claimed. I here order and direct the Defendants to immediately pay to the Claimant the sum of =N= 1,647,878.11 being the outstanding balance of entitlement due to the Claimant from the Defendants. The second issue is for payment of the sum of =N=1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) only as general damages and cost of this suit. The measure of general damages is awarded to assuage such a loss which flows naturally from the Defendant's act or conduct. It needs not be specifically pleaded. It is sufficient if it is generally averred. General damages are presumed to be the direct and probable consequence of the act complained of. See Elf Petroleum v. Umah & Ors. (2018) LPELR-43600(SC). It is not clear to me and the Claimant did not lead any evidence to show the loss he suffered as a result of the act or conduct of the Defendant. For, general damages is meant to assuage the loss suffered by a party. In the absence of any loss shown to have been suffered by the Claimant I refuse and dismiss the claim for award of general damages. Respecting prayer for cost, the law is trite that cost follows event. In any event, the Rules of this Court also allows the Court to award cost in appropriate cases. I take cognisance of the length of this trial and the expenses incurred by the Claimant in instituting this action. Consequently, I award the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira and order the Defendant to pay same forthwith to the Claimant as cost of this action. Finally, for the avoidance of doubt and for all the reasons as stated in this Judgment, 1. I here order and direct the Defendants to immediately pay to the Claimant the sum of =N= 1,647,878.11 being the outstanding balance of entitlement due to the Claimant from the Defendants. 2. The Defendants are ordered to pay to the Claimant the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira only as cost of this action. All the terms of this Judgment are to be complied with within 30 days from today. Judgment is entered accordingly. ____________________ Hon. Justice J. D. Peters Presiding Judge