National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ordered authorities of Federal University, Oye Ekiti, to refrain from taking further steps to sack its embattled Registrar, Olatunbosun Odunsanya.

Odunsanya had approached the court with an ex-parte request, urging it to make an interim order restraining the University; its Vice-Chancellor, Abayomi Fashina, and the National Universities Commission, who were listed as defendants in the suit, from sacking him.

Lawyer to the plaintiff, Kenechukwu Azie, had applied for “an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th defendants their agents, privies, assigns, servants however so-called from appointing a new Registrar for Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

Alternatively, the claimant asked the court to direct all parties in the case to “maintain status quo antebellum,” pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit.

After listening to Odunsanya’s ex-parte request, E.N. Agbakoba, ordered parties in the matter to “maintain status quo antebellum pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

A copy of the ex parte order was obtained by journalists in Abuja on Tuesday evening.

The judge held that the interest of justice would best be served by the grant of an order of accelerated hearing.

While adjourning the case till February 17, Agbakoba, ordered parties to “refrain from conduct that would lead to breakdown of law and order.”

Other defendants in the matter were Chairman, Governing Council of FUOYE, Muhammad Yahuza; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Jeremiah Omotola and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (Academics), Shola Ojo.

The FUOYE management and the Bursar have been locked in a power tussle since last April.

The dispute got to a head when the Governing Council of FUOYE suspended Odusanya from office over alleged misconduct.

But barely 24 hours after his sacking by the Governing Council, Odusanya faulted his removal, saying they had not communicated it to him.

Odusanya said he learnt of his sacking through privileged information and the media.

The former registrar explained that he would not be bothered if he was punished for committing an infraction or an offence and found guilty.

Odusanya was sacked following the approval by the University Governing Council of the report of the Disciplinary Committee.

The Council, headed by Mohammed Yahuza, had on April 20, 2021, suspended Odusanya from office to pave the way for investigation into allegations of misconduct levelled against him over irregularities in appointments between August 1, 2020, and February 10, 2021.

But Odusanya blamed his predicament on the Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, Abayomi Fasina.

The sacked Registrar described his removal as illegal but was however silent on whether he would challenge the decision in court.

He had said, “Of course, they have not communicated to me but by way of privilege, I got to know that they have terminated my appointment and they also said that this is a soft landing; if I approached the council, if I did not go to court, that they would allow me to withdraw my service.

“My fear is that if this kind of thing is allowed to just go away like that, it shows that FUOYE is in serious trouble. Ideally, this is an offence I did not commit; it is not my responsibility to employ, it is my responsibility to carry out the directives of the chief executive.

“So, I don’t know why they are finding me guilty on this matter because the only place where the registrar can err in this kind of thing is if you employ somebody without the approval of the Vice-Chancellor; the Vice-Chancellor approves all the appointments.”

“If Fasina could manoeuvre his way to remove the names of registrar within 10 days, I don’t know what is likely going to be the state or future of all staff in FUOYE.

Several calls and SMS made by our correspondent to Fasina were neither answered nor replied to.

Punch