3 Professors, 2 Others Sue UNN For Terminating Board

Five academic staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) including three professors have dragged the management of the university to a federal court sitting in Enugu for refusing to allow subsisting elected members of the governing council to exhaust their tenure.

They argue that they were elected for a four-year tenure as internal members of the governing board but were not allowed to continue in office after the dissolution and reconstitution of governing councils of universities.

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 praying to the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining the university from conducting fresh election into the governing council of the institution.

Joined in the suit with number FHC/E/CS/97 2024 are the university governing council, the Senate of the university, the vice chancellor and the pro-chancellor of the institution.

The applicants are praying for an order compelling both parties in the suit to maintain the peace and status quo orchestrated by these orders pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

They are also seeking any other order or such further orders as the court may deem fit and proper to make in the circumstance.

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 meetings and minutes of meetings.

The suit is equally urging the court to construe relevant provisions of the 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 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.

“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