Court orders former university vice chancellor to refund $1.75 million meant for building hostel

Justice Yemi Fasanmi Ondo State High Court, Igbara-Oke division, on Wednesday, ordered the erstwhile vice-chancellor of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Professor Adekunle Oloyede, to refund the sum of $1.75 million to the university.

In a suit number HIGB/04/2017 between Elizade University and Professor Adekunle Oloyede and three other defendants, Elizade University had approached the court for the recovery of $1.75 million from the erstwhile vice-chancellor, being the amount transferred to him and his partners’ accounts in Australia for the construction of a 500-bed panel technology hostel in the university prior to his engagement as the university’s vice chancellor.

Professor Oloyede, who was later appointed as the university’s vice-chancellor, had his appointment terminated early 2017 on allegations of failure to execute the 500-bed hostel contract, among others.

According to a statement by the public relations officer of the Elizade University, Mr Seyi Ogungbenro, between March 2019 when the court processes were served on them, and 6th November, 2019, Oloyede and his partners failed to file their defence to the action after several adjournments at the instance of his lawyers.

The development prompted the counsel to the Elizade University to apply to the court for judgment in default of defence and for failure of the erstwhile vice chancellor to participate in pre-trial conference.

By its ruling of 6th November, 2019, the court ordered Oloyede and his Australian partners to refund the sum of $1.750 million to the university as money received for failure of consideration.

Counsel for Oloyede and his partners then applied to the court to set aside the ruling, but Justice Fasanmi, in his ruling on Wednesday, struck out the applications “for being too spurious, watery and lacking in substance” and confirmed the earlier order of 6th November, 2019.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Buy and read digital replicas of your TRIBUNE titles by subscribing through E-VENDING

Make No Mistake, Coronavirus Will Be With Us For A Long Time, Says WHO DG
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Wednesday that he hoped the Trump administration would reconsider its suspension of funding, but that his main focus was on ending the pandemic and saving lives, Reuters reported… Read full story