The National Industrial Court in Akure has declared the dismissal of Professor Niyi Akingbe, former Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), as wrongful and awarded him N40 million in damages.
Akingbe, who was dismissed in 2018 over allegations of plagiarism, challenged the decision, claiming it was unjust and lacked proper procedural backing.
The court agreed, stating that FUOYE failed to follow the provisions of the FOUYE Act of 2015 and regulations governing the conditions of senior staff service.
Delivering judgement on October 29, 2024, Justice K.D. Damulak held that the dismissal letter was issued without adherence to a fair hearing and in the absence of credible evidence to substantiate the plagiarism claim.
The court ruled, “A declaration that an allegation of plagiarism against the claimant cannot be made in the absence of the work/publication of a particular author or authors the claimant purportedly plagiarised.”
The judge also noted that the staff disciplinary committee’s report, which the university cited as justification for the dismissal, was incomplete at the time of the action.
The judgement also criticised the university’s reliance on unsigned or nonexistent documentation and set aside the dismissal as unlawful.
Justice Damulak added that FUOYE must pay the compensation within 30 days, failing which it would attract a 10% annual interest.
Akingbe’s counsel, Ademola Olowoyeye, argued that the allegations of plagiarism were vague and unsupported by evidence, further contending that Akingbe met all requirements for promotion to the position of Professor in the Department of English.
He described the denial of this promotion as unjust.
This ruling emphasises the need for adherence to due process in staff disciplinary actions and has been welcomed as a victory for fair hearing and justice.
