The Industrial Court, on Thursday, restrained the vice chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Mike Adiukwu, from presiding over the affairs in the troubled institution.
President of the Industrial Court, Justice B.A. Adejumo, gave an ex-parte order, following an application by a university lecturer, Dr Raji Rasheed and two others.
This is coming barely a week after his appointment, following the retirement of Professor Adebiyi Adelakun.
The court also restrained the governing council of the university from taking any step to implement the report of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board on the appointment of the new vice chancellor.
However, it directed that the originating summons be served on the university’s governing council, the vice chancellor and six other respondents.
The applicants asked the court to restrain Adiukwu from parading himself as vice chancellor, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.
The order read: “It is, therefore, ordered that the first, second, third and sixth defendants/respondents, their agents, privies, assigns, servants, however, so called from taking steps to appoint the seventh defendant/respondent as the new vice chancellor of the University of Abuja in any manner whatsoever and from performing the duties/and all other functions of the office of the vice chancellor of the university, pending the determination the Motion on Notice in this case.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, on Thursday, resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the roles played by the governing council of the University of Abuja in the recent recruitment of the university’s vice chancellor.
The ad hoc committee, when constituted by the leadership of the House, are expected to report its findings and recommendations within seven days.
The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Honourable Pally Iriase.”
According to him, “this discontentment is fast assuming ethno-religious colouration, which may spell doom for the University of Abuja as an ivory tower and has far-reaching implications for Nigeria in the longrun.”
Speaking further, he said “the discontentment stems from alleged injustice, discrimination and unfairness in the processes leading to the said appointment, which led to the dropping of first and second candidates who scored over 80 per cent and 70 per cent to pave the way for the candidate who scored a little above 60 per cent.”
The lawmaker also stated that “a situation, where a third placed candidate was chosen in preference to the other two frontrunners in the competition for the post of the vice chancellor requires convincing explanation from the university governing council.”
To this end, he stated that there was urgent need to stop the intractable problems bedevilling the Nigerian university system arising from brazen disregard for merit, fairness and justice.
He however, said that “unless steps are taken to courageously address the discontentment in the University of Abuja community, the matter may lead to avoidable unrest.”
When the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, it was unanimously supported by members.
