Posted by From Tunde Sanni in Ilorin on
Presidency may have summoned officials of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), following the Federal High Court judgment, which ordered the recall of the 44 sacked lecturers of the institution.
Presidency may have summoned officials of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), following the Federal High Court judgment, which ordered the recall of the 44 sacked lecturers of the institution.
Summoned by the Presidency, according to sources, include the Chairman of the university Governing Council, Prof. Ayo Banjo, Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Shamsudeen Amali and the Secretary to the Council, Mrs. Olufolake Oyeyemi.
Sources said the summon might not be unconnected with the sharp disagreement among members of the university Governing Council on the step to take on the judgment as both the Council Chairman and the Vice Chancellor were said to have insisted on different positions.
It could not be confirmed if the Presidency would assist the university to settle the outstanding allowances which is put at N260 million, which the court directed should be paid to the embattled lecturers.
Last Sunday, the university Governing Council met in an emergency capacity to deliberate on the court pronouncement, and at the end of the day agreed to back the recourse to appeal against the judgment of the trial court by the administration.
But, competent sources in the Council confided in THISDAY that there was sharp disagreement on the appeal issue at the meeting.
The sources added that immediately after the court judgement, the Vice Chancellor got in touch with the Council Chairman on the development as well as the cost implications of the judgment.
The council chairman, it was gathered, was disposed to the letters of the court judgment, which included the recall of the 44 dons as well as the payment of all their outstanding salaries and allowances.
The Vice Chancellor, on his own, disagreed on the recall of the lecturers and the payment of the outstanding entitlements of the dons, which he noted, was staggering, while the university has since filled the vacancies the court wanted the dons to be recalled to.
But as the duo could not reach a truce, Banjo directed Amali to convene an emergency meeting of council for last Sunday to deliberate on the matter.
Unknown to Banjo, an underground campaign to sustain the argument of the Vice Chancellor has been intensified, leading to a seeming unanimous decision at the meeting when the issue was to put to vote.
Efforts to speak to confirm the summon of the Presidency in Ilorin Tuesday proved abortive as a voice on his landline told THISDAY that the university chief was out of the state.