…advises parties to toe path of peace
The National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, Capital city of Ondo State on Thursday faulted Contempt allegation filed against the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina and the institution’s Acting Registrar, Mr. Mufutau lbrahim by a suspended lecturer, Dr. Akinyemi Gabriel Omonijo.
A report had gone viral on social media on Wednesday, misleading the public that the Vice-Chancellor and the acting Registrar risked jail terms for an alleged contempt of court.
The report insinuated that the court may jail the two principal officers because they had allegedly disobeyed the court’s consent ruling which unconditionally asked the University to reinstate Dr. Omonijo.
But while responding to the allegation by Omonijo’s lawyer, T.J Omidomi, the presiding judge asked the claimant to have a proper rethink on the allegation of contempt of the Court, implying that the claimant would not really establish a case of contempt since the University had served him a letter of reinstatement.
It will be recalled that Omonijo was slammed an indefinite suspension by the University Management as punitive measures for his gross misconduct against the University Regulations after due investigation which indicted him, was carried out. He had approached the Court to challenge the legality of his suspension and urged the Court to compel the University management to reinstate him. The trial had dragged for several months after which the parties opted for settling out of court for peace to reign. This led to a Consent judgement which ordered Omonijo to withdraw his claims against the University while the University was asked to make prompt efforts to reinstate him. The University has since complied with the consent judgement, but only demands that Omonijo should write an undertaking to be of good conduct upon resumption in line with the regulations of the university. He vehemently objected to this and rushed to the court to file his ill-conceived contempt charge.
The judge thereafter adjourned the case to October 13, 2022 for final settlement.