Court orders reinstatement of sacked FUOYE lecturer

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) sitting in Abuja has voided the sack of Prof. Adeyemi Oluwagbemiga of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State, by the management of the university.

In the judgement was made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the court described the sack of the lecturer in the department of Demography and Social Statistics as illegal, null and void and of no effect.

It ordered his immediate reinstatement and that all payments due to him must be effected.The suit number NICN/AK/64/2018 was filed by Mrs. Funmi Falana, Tolulope Aguda and others on behalf of the plaintiff. Delivering his judgement, Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi said the termination of the claimant’s employment vide a letter dated October 31, 2018 from the employ of the defendant was null and void as well as unconstitutional.

The judge stated: “The termination letter is hereby set aside and this shows that the claimant is still in the employ of the university.“The claimant is entitled to be reinstated to his erstwhile position without any loss of seniority, rank and entitlement whatsoever. The defendant is restrained from further interfering with the claimant’s rights, privileges and performance of his duties as an associate professor in [FUOYE].”Prof. Oluwagbemiga was sacked on October 31, 2018 over alleged refusal to submit a research report to FUOYE, for which N1.685 million was given.

In the suit, the lawyers to the plaintiff sought a declaration that the claimant’s purported dismissal via letter dated October 31, 2018 was null and void and unconstitutional.They also sought a declaration that the claimant was still in the employ of the defendant. They craved for an order directing the defendant to reinstate the claimant to his status as an associate professor without prejudice to his entitlements and promotions, which may have accrued to him during the period of his purported dismissal.