The National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has reinstated 32 technologists out of over 900 workers disengaged by the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti (EKSU), last December.
The management on December 5, 2019 disengaged over 900 of its workforce for alleged certificate forgery, irregular appointment, overage, among other allegations that contravened its conditions of service.
In a suit, 32 technologists of the sacked workers dragged EKSU, EKSU Governing Council and EKSU Vice Chancellor (first to third defendants) to the Industrial Court to seek redress.
They asked the court to determine whether their employment with EKSU enjoyed statutory protection and whether their disengagement was compatible with their status of employment, which enjoyed statutory flavour.
Among others, they sought a declaration of the court that their disengagement as workers of EKSU “in the manner it was done was unlawful, irregular, illegal and therefore null and void and of no effect.
“An order for the restoration and reinstatement of the claimants to their offices without loss of salaries, promotions, emoluments and other allowances due to them as workers of the first respondent (EKSU).
“Payment of the claimants’ three months salaries, emoluments and other allowances owed them before the purported and unlawful disengagement.”
But counsel to the university prayed the court not to grant the request of the 32 technologists, saying they had not been able to establish in the case that their appointments with EKSU were unlawfully determined.
After listening to the submission of the claimants’ and defence’s counsel, the presiding judge, Justice K. D. Damulak, declared the termination of the workers’ appointment as “unlawful, null and void.”
