Five academic staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Tuesday, dragged the University to a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu over truncation of the tenure of subsisting internal members of the Governing Council of the University.
The academic staff, including three professors have also obtained an interlocutory injunction restraining the Management of UNN from proceeding with the alleged plan to conduct parallel election of members of Governing Council of the University until the hearing and determination of the suit before the court.
The applicants namely Professor Joshua Umelifekwem, Professor Uchenna Odo, Professor Kenneth Oforkansi, Mr. Fimbar Eneogo and Dr. Aaron Agbo, through their counsel, Chijioke Ezeh, are also praying an order compelling parties in the suit to maintain the peace and status quo orchestrated by these orders pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Joined in the suit with number FHC/E/CS/97/ 2024, are the university Governing Council, the Senate of the school, Vice Chancellor and Pro Chancellor of the institution.
The applicants in a motion on notice said they were distinctively elected as internal members of the governing council of the University of Nigeria 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 is equally urging the court to construe relevant provisions of interpretation Act as to what constitutes four years under the law.
The applicants disclosed that they have held several meetings with the 4th defendant who is the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Charles Igwe, but he has remained persistent 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of Nigeria at a time suspended all boards of the Federal Government institutions decision of which we know has been rescinded since,” the motion on notice reads in parts.
Meanwhile, in a letter to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Igwe, which was co-signed by the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, UNN Chapter, Comrade Oyibo Eze, and the Secretary of the branch, Comrade Michael Nwokedi, ASUU enjoined the UNN management to put aside the planned Governing Council election allegedly scheduled to hold on May 29, 2024.
While saying that the planned election was an act of illegality, the Union urged UNN Management to allow the subsisting members of the Council to serve out their tenure.
