Five academic staff members of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, have filed a lawsuit against the university’s management at the Federal Court High sitting in Enugu for refusing to allow elected members of the Governing Council to complete their tenure.
The frustrated academics, which included three professors, claimed that they were elected for a four-year term as internal members of the governing board but were not permitted to continue in office following the dissolution and reformation of the federal institutions’ governing councils.
The applicants, Prof. Joshua Umelifekwem, Prof. Uchenna Odo, Prof. Kenneth Oforkansi, Mr. Fimbar Eneogo and Dr. Aaron Agbo, through their counsel, Chidioke Ezeh, petitioned the court for an interlocutory injunction preventing the university from holding new elections for the institution’s governing council.
Joined in the suit marked FHC/E/CS/97 2024, were the University Governing Council, the Senate of the university, Vice Chancellor and pro-Chancellor of the institution.
The applicants were praying an order compelling both parties in the suit to maintain the peace and status quo pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
They were also seeking any other order or such further orders as the honourable court may deem fit and proper to make in the circumstance.
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 to council, election results, notice of meeting and minutes of meetings.
The suit equally urged the court to construe relevant provisions of 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 probably because his tenure as vice Chancellor will be coming 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 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.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of UNN had in letter dated May 27, 2024 and signed by Comerade Oyibo Eze and Comerade Micheal Nwokedi Chairperson and Secretary respectively addressed to the Vice-chancellor of UNN, disassociated the union from the illegality of truncating the tenure of elected Governing Council members of the University