The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered the immediate reinstatement of a lecturer of Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof. Adeyemi Oluwagbemiga, who was sacked by the management.

In his judgment, Justice O. O. Oyewumi, declared the sack of the lecturer in the Department of Demography and Social Statistics as illegal, null, void and of no effect.

The suit, number NICN/AK/64/2018 filed by Mrs Funmi Falana, T. Gbadamosi and Tolulope Aguda, on behalf of the plaintiff, Prof Oluwagbemiga, had FUOYE as a defendant.

In the judgment, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Friday, the court said the termination of claimant’s employment through a letter dated 31st October 2018 from FUOYE “is hereby set aside and this shows that the claimant is still in the employ of the university.”

Justice Oyewumi held “That the claimant is entitled to be reinstated to his erstwhile position without any loss of seniority, rank and entitlements whatsoever.

“That the defendant is restrained from further interfering with the claimant’s rights, privileges and performance of his duties as an associate professor in the defendant (FUOYE).”

The claimant was sacked on October 31, 2018 over alleged refusal to submit a research report to FUOYE, for which they were given money to the tune of N1.685 milion.

In the suit, the lawyers to the plaintiff had sought a declaration that the claimant’s purported dismissal through a letter dated 31st October, 2018 was null and void and unconstitutional and as well a declaration that the claimant was still in the employment of the defendant.

The plaintiff had also sought an order directing the defendant to reinstate the claimant “to his status as an Associate Professor without prejudice to his entitlements and promotions, which may have accrued to him during the period of his purported dismissal