Kehinde Adewole
The National lndustrial Court of Nigeria, Akure division, in Ondo State, on Monday, waded into the crisis rocking the disengagement of about 100 non-teaching staff of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.
The disengaged staff had instituted a suit against the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, and the Management of the University, alleging illegal disengagement from the service of the institution.
The affected staff waged the legal battle after they exhausted all other options including pleading, non-violent protects among others to ensure that the University Management reverses its decision to sack them via letters of notification of disengagement dated December 5, 2019 which were handed over to the affected staff.
In the suit challenging their disengagement from the services of the University, the affected staff, who were represented by Mrs. Oyinlola Omowunmi Yinka, Mr. Ajayi Babatubde A, and Mr. Adejoro Blessing, and three others being Claimants, and which has the Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University.
The Governing Council, Ekiti State University and Ekiti State University as Defendants, the Claimants sought reliefs such as: “An Order setting aside the provisions of the Ekiti State University Regulations Governing the service of Senior staff and the provisions of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti Regulations Governing the the service of Junior staff stating that the employment of confirmed senior and Junior staff of the 3rd Defendant can be terminated by notice or payment in lieu of of notice; the said provision being in compatible with the employment status of the Claimants to statutory employees, A Declaration that the disengagement of all the named and unnamed claimants from their appointments video letters of 5th December, 2019 is illegal, null and void, An Order reinstating all the named and unnamed claimants to their appointments or employments with the payment of their salaries and allowances from the date of disengagement to the date of the jugdement, thereafter, and.
An Order directing the defendants to pay the Claimants the three months salaries of the Claimants which remains unpaid by the defendants.
The presiding jugde, held that statement of facts before the court cannot be disputed and therefore directed that the two legal counsels to both parties, Olabanjo O. Ayenakin for Claimants and Dayo Akinlaja soliciting for the defendants prepare their defense for the Court’s ruling at the next hearing.
While the Counsel to the Claimants accepted the Court’s decision on the grounds that the defendants are not disputing statements of facts stating that there no grounds given by the defendants for terminating the affected staff’s appointment, among others, the counsel to the defendants pleaded that the Court allow him seek advice from his senior Counsel before taking decision on the matter. The Court thereafter adjourned the case to October 13.
Meanwhile, affected staff have pleaded with well-meaning Nigerians to urgently come to their aide financially. They decried that harsh economic situation by foisted on them by the sudden disengagement has made life very hard for them and their families.
