The National Industrial Court (NICN) in Akure, Ondo State, has ordered the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) to pay N40 million in damages to its former acting dean of Faculty of Arts, Professor Niyi Akingbe, for unfair dismissal. .

Akingbe, a vocal critic of the university’s administration under former vice-chancellor Kayode Soremekun, was fired in 2018 over allegations of plagiarism. However, the court ruled that his dismissal was unfair and lacked substantial evidence.

In Case No: NICN/AK/58/2018, the court found that FUOYE failed to comply with due process stipulated in the FUOYE Act of 2015 and the relevant personnel regulations. The judgment highlights that the university failed to provide sufficient evidence of the plagiarism allegations or the external evaluators’ report supposedly used to justify Akingbe’s dismissal.

Akingbe’s lawyer, Ademola Olowoyeye, argued that the charges were vague and did not cite specific works allegedly plagiarized. He further claimed that Akingbe was illegally denied promotion despite meeting the requirements to become a professor in the Department of English.

Judge KD Damulak, who presided over the case, criticized the university for denying Akingbe a fair trial before his dismissal. The judge noted that the disciplinary committee report, which was used to justify the dismissal, was signed on November 7, 2018, several days after the publication of Akingbe’s dismissal letter on October 31, 2018.

The court declared the dismissal null and void, ordering FUOYE to pay Akingbe N40 million in general damages within 30 days. In the event of non-compliance, annual interest of 10 percent will be applied to the amount.

Justice Damulak emphasized: “The allegation of plagiarism against the plaintiff cannot be sustained without specifying the exact work and sections allegedly copied. » He concluded that the university’s actions were procedurally flawed and unfair.