Court orders UI to reinstate sacked Lecturer, Pay N13m

 

The National Industrial Court has ordered the
University of Ibadan to reinstate dismissed lecturer Adenike Ogunshe and pay her N13
million.

Ms Ogunshe, a senior lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, was sacked by the institution for refusing to vacate her office to another one.

Delivery judgment on Monday, Justice John Peters said that the university failed to comply with the rules and regulations guiding the employment relationship concerning the
termination of Ms Ogunshe’s appointment.

Mr Peters said the relocation of office that led to
the termination of the claimant’s appointment
started in 2006 and was left hanging until 2013 when the claimant was issued a query.

The judge noted that the court found out that the
issue was escalated by the claimant’s insistent that rules and regulations be followed in the head
of the department’s appointment.

It also included following rules regarding students
who did not attend classes being allowed to sit
final examinations against the institution’s known
laid down rules and regulations.

Mr Peters declared the termination of Ms Ogunshe’s appointment by the institution as
unlawful, null, void, and of no effect for non- compliance with the applicable rules.

The judge further set aside the letters of termination of appointment issued on June 14,
2016, and August 15, 2016, by the university to
Ms Ogunshe.

He ordered the immediate reinstatement of Ms
Ogunshe to her position as senior lecturer in the
department of microbiology of the institution without loss of benefits, prerequisites of office, promotion, and remunerations.

The judge further ordered the institution to pay
Ms Ogunshe N13,607,028, being her salary
arrears from August 15, 2016, to the date of the judgment.

“I order and direct the defendants to pay the claimant all her arrears of salaries from the date of termination of her appointment till the date of this judgment,” Mr Peters said.

The judge also ordered the institution to pay
N200,000 as the cost of the proceedings.