Five Academic Staff Drag UNN To Court Over Removal From Governing Board

Five academic staff of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), have filed a lawsuit against the management of the university at the Federal Court High sitting in Enugu for refusing to allow elected members of the Governing Council to serve out their tenure.

The aggrieved academics, comprising three professors, argued that they were elected for a four-year tenure as internal members of the governing board but were not allowed to continue in office after the dissolution and reconstitution of the governing councils of the federal universities.

The applicants, through their counsel, Chidioke Ezeh, urged the court for an interlocutory injunction stopping the university from conducting fresh elections into the governing council of the institution.

Joined in the suit marked FHC/E/CS/97 2024, were the university governing council, the Senate of the university, the Vice-Chancellor, and the pro-Chancellor of the institution.

The applicants prayed for an order compelling both parties in the suit to maintain the peace and status quo pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

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They also demanded any other order or such further orders as the honourable court may deem fit and proper to make in the circumstances.

The applicants, in a motion on notice, said they were distinctively elected as internal members of the governing council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from the various categories of Senate, convocation, and congregation.

They stated that they have their distinct memoranda for the council, election results, notice of meetings, and minutes of meetings.

The suit equally urged the court to construe relevant provisions of the Interpretation Act as to what constitutes four-year under the law.

The applicants disclosed that they have held several meetings with the 4th defendant, who is the vice Chancellor of the university, but he has remained obstinate and recalcitrant in doing the unlawful act probably because his tenure as vice chancellor will come to an end sometime in June 2024.

“We have held several meetings with the 4th defendant, but he has remained obstinate and recalcitrant in doing the unlawful thing probably because his tenure as vice chancellor will be coming to an end sometime in June 2024.

“That the contention and reason of the 4th defendant upon which he is currently acting arbitrarily was that the Federal Government of Nigeria at a time suspended all boards of the Federal Government institutions decision of which we know has been rescinded since,” the motion on notice read in parts.