The National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Ibadan has vindicated the former registrar of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Dr Julius Faniran, and the erstwhile bursar, Dr Fatai Lasisi, of financial misappropriation.
It also ordered the management of the university to pay them their entitlements.
According to the copy of the judgment, sighted by the Nigerian Tribune, the presiding judge, Justice Faustina Iyabode Kola-Olalere, described all allegations levelled against them as baseless and unfounded.
Justice Kola-Olalere added that the substance of the case, rather than the technicality, indicated that the men acted in line with the rules and regulations of the university and were not found wanting of any misdeed.
Both Faniran and Lasisi were suspended by the university’s governing council headed by Professor Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN) in February 2015 for alleged financial impropriety and maladministration, a development that compelled them to approach the court for redress.
The Visitor to the university, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, upon the suspension set up a visitation panel on February 17, 2015, headed by the then vice chancellor of the University of Technology, Akure, to investigate the matter and submit a report.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Dr Lasisi, who spoke on behalf of the duo, hinted that following their vindication by the NIC, the new chairman of the governing council, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN), had invited them for a dialogue, with a view to reaching an amicable resolution over the matter.
He said: “We proceeded to court in order to challenge the termination of our appointment bacause it was illegal, null and void. At that point in time, the same council or the same university that terminated our apartment now later invited us for discussion.
“At the end of the day, we agreed on a numbers of things, and one of those things is that they should pay our entitlements to the point of our tenure and the release of two official cars to each of us.”
Lasisi said the intervention of the new chairman of the council, Mallam Yusuf Ali, substantially doused the tension; he made sure that we had an amicable resolution.
“The university management admitted that our suspension was done in bad faith, and that the allegations levelled against us were all baseless and unfounded. It was sealed in black and white, and this eventually formed the basis on which the judgement was based.
“It is indeed our joy that we were vindicated eventually. The university has since complied with the court ruling, paying us all our entitlements, including our cars which were seized from us during the crisis.
“This judgement has reinforced our confidence in the judiciary as the last home of commoners at all times. We are also grateful to Mallam Yusus Ali for his wisdom,” Lasisi said.
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