Court awards lecturer N40m compensation over wrongful dismissal

The National Industrial Court in Akure has ordered the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), in Ekiti state, to pay the sum of N40 million to Professor Niyi Akingbe, the former Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts, of the institution as compensation over wrongful dismissal.

According to the court documents made available to Vanguard Correspondent in Ilorin the judgement in suit no NICN/AK/58/2018 dated 29th October 2024 was given by the Presiding Judge, Hon Justice K.D Damulak in the case between the Claimant Dr Oniyide Ajisafe Akingbe and Federal University of Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

After about six years of litigation, the Industrial Court vire the Presiding Judge, Honourable Justice K.D Damulak gave a ruling among others that:

” it is hereby declared and ordered as follows; A declaration that an allegation of plagiarism against the claimant cannot be made against the claimant in the absence of the work/publication of a particular author or authors the claimant purportedly plagiarized, specifying what part of the work copied, printed, or passed off as the original works of the claim without the claimant having acknowledged such works.
“A declaration that the claimant’s dismissal vide letter dated 31st October 2018 without fair hearing is null and void.

“The defendant is hereby ordered to pay the claimant general damages assessed at N40,000,000(Forty million Naira only)within Thirty days of this judgement or the sum shall attract 10% interest per annum. This is the judgement of the court and it is hereby entered.”

Professor Niyi Akingbe had been a vocal critic of the university’s administrative practices under former Vice Chancellor Kayode Soremekun, who dismissed him following a query related to plagiarism.

The court found that Akingbe’s termination of employment in 2018 was not only unjust but also based on unfounded allegations of plagiarism.

The documented court proceedings, also revealed that the university failed to adhere to proper procedures outlined in the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti Act of 2015 and the relevant regulations governing senior staff service conditions.
Counsel for Akingbe, Ademola Olowoyeye, during the trial, argued that the allegations of plagiarism were vague and lacked substantial evidence.

The court also addressed several other declarations, including the illegality of the letters accusing Akingbe of misconduct and the unlawful nature of the Staff Disciplinary Committee that investigated the plagiarism claims.

The Counsel emphasizes that Akingbe had met all requirements for promotion to the position of Professor in the Department of English, and the denial of this promotion based on unsubstantiated allegations was deemed unlawful.