Court orders FUOYE to pay N40m to former dean for wrongful dismissal

The National Industrial Court (NICN) in Akure, Ondo State, has ordered the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), to pay N40 million in damages to its former Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Niyi Akingbe, for wrongful dismissal.

Akingbe, a vocal critic of the university’s administration under former Vice Chancellor Kayode Soremekun, was dismissed in 2018 over allegations of plagiarism. However, the court ruled that his termination was unjust and lacked substantial evidence.

In Suit No: NICN/AK/58/2018, the court found that FUOYE failed to follow due process stipulated in the FUOYE Act of 2015 and relevant staff regulations. The ruling highlighted that the university did not provide sufficient proof of the plagiarism allegations or the report from external assessors supposedly used to justify Akingbe’s dismissal.

Counsel to Akingbe, Ademola Olowoyeye, argued that the accusations were vague and did not cite specific works allegedly plagiarised. He further contended that Akingbe was denied promotion unlawfully despite meeting the requirements for a professorship in the Department of English.

Justice K.D. Damulak, who presided over the case, criticised the university for denying Akingbe a fair hearing before his dismissal. The judge noted that the disciplinary committee’s report, which was used to justify the dismissal, was signed on November 7, 2018—several days after Akingbe’s dismissal letter was issued on October 31, 2018.

The court declared the dismissal null and void, ordering FUOYE to pay Akingbe N40 million in general damages within 30 days. Failure to comply will result in a 10 per cent annual interest on the sum.

Justice Damulak stressed, “The allegation of plagiarism against the claimant cannot stand without specifying the exact work and sections purportedly copied.” He concluded that the university’s actions were procedurally flawed and unjust.