UPDATED AT 15.40 GMT

S'Court reinstates sacked Unilorin lecturers

The Supreme Court has in a unanimous judgment upheld the appeal of five lecturers who were sacked for taking part in the activities of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on May 15, 2001 and accordingly ordered their immediate re-instatement. The appeal of the other 45 lecturers comes up at the Supreme Court in September, this year. The re-instated lecturers are Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, Dr A.S, Ajayi, Dr. Adeyinka Banwo, Dr.Sola Ademiluka and O.O.Olugbara. The lead Judgment delivered by Justice Olufunke Folasade Adekeye granted all the prayers made by the appellants and ordered their restoration forthwith to their former positions. Adekeye held that the lecturers' constitutional right to fair hearing guaranteed under Section 36 was breached as there was sufficient evidence to show that they were not given fair hearing before their appointments were terminated. Consequently, the apex court upturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier endorsed the lecturers' sack. Adekeye also ordered that all their salaries and allowances be paid from the date of their sack to the date they were reinstated to their offices. Justice Adekeye also awarded the sum of N60,000 as costs to each of the appellants.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/breaking_news/article01

This is particularly a good news. Many prominent Nigerians have pleaded on behalf of these lecturers to the authorities, OBJ remained recalcitrant and one thought Yar Adua would reinstate them but he refused to do so. Now they do not have a choice than to obey the Supreme Court.

@topic, gud news. And tank God we saw a post from BCR witout 'Yoruba', 'Benin' or map.

Good News.Hope the remaining lecturers are also reinstated.

We will see if Mr. "Rule of Law" will obey the court.

Shey he refused to re-instate them because OBJ told him not to?

I thank God for them.

Thank God.
One day the law will catch up with all of them who are pepetrating injustice in our land.
That a nice one from Supreme court.

Whoa I am really happy for them ooo although I know some of them are died

I was in my final year at Uniilorin when the whole issues started,the plain truth is that is was just a power tussle btw the then VC Oba abduraham and the Oloruntoba-oju lead ASUU.
Things were really bad and degerated into ethnic and religious lines.
Some viewed the VC who came from bayero Univerity was there to pursue an 'Ilorin' agenda as He was the first VC from Ilorin.He had a strong link with the "atoto press General" so He had his way with Obasanjo and no surprise the ASUU team had no favorable justice under Obasanjo. I must add too that some were against the ASUU regime as it was a semester a strike too many.

The koko bi say no institition in Nigeria whey never spoil and basterdized with our military frame of mind.

Seum:

We will see if Mr. "Rule of Law" will obey the court.

Shey he refused to re-instate them because OBJ told him not to?

Whether he likes it or not, whether it is convenient for OBJ or not, the ruling must be obeyed to the letter. They will also collect their accumulated unpaid salaries which I'm sure should be in millions.

Justice after how many years? Justice delayed is justice denied>Am happy for the Guys,but at what cost to theim

Justice at last!

Shame to the enemy of progress.Mr rule of law,Nigerians are eagerly waiting to see u implementing this verdict.Is the Minister of injustice aware of this verdict, Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa

If they like, let the win at the hague it still don't matter! In nigeria The president would rather obey his mistress than the rule of law. . .

about time!!!

finally >> a breath of fresh air !!!

Good news to all Students in Nigerian Universities especially State and Federal. At least, one issues of ASUU strike is out, I remember spending 6month at stretch at home because of this issue during my university days. Success at last.

i hope this will end the politics of yearly strike by ASSU.

o.o.olugbara was my lecturer, very brillant man, and also a tough neck, kudos to d man, last i heard of him , he was in south africa,

i hope this would mean a more stable academic calender. but then justice after about 8 years , shame on our judiciary system

8 years! This really tells something about our justice system
in this country.

That is if they are willing to go back to Unilorin.It is just funny,after 8 years.Am sure most of them must have gotten a better job either in Nigeria or outside Nigeria.

What about the other ones,were they not in thesame shoes so why reinstainting just five.Abeg they should do the right thing jo.
To add insult to the injury,they are reinstainted back to their former position.God forbid, is that not retrogression?
@ Babalawo better by far.

Have they said they are not willing to go back? As for the other ones, they're likely
to get the same judgement, that's why we're celebrating.

What about those who are dead what happens to their benefits like Prof Adegbija., I stand to be corrected but i think their termination trauma could have hasten their death. though they are old.

That is the irony of world justice. Sometimes, justice delayed can really be
justice denied-for those who are dead and gone.

more kudos to the judiciary in nigeria. this is good news to all of us especially in the academia. we hope such will not happen in the future. let me again use this medium to appeal to federal government to faciliate the fg-ASUU before it get out of hands. god bless nigeria

Yes, we hope it doesn't happen again.