LAGOS, Nigeria — The Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, has issued an interim order restraining Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and 14 other respondents from appointing a new Rector for Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
Justice Opeloye Ogunbowale granted the order on Friday, September 1, 2023, in response to an ex parte motion filed by the suspended Rector of the institution, Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo.
Dr. Odetayo has contested what he describes as his “illegal suspension” from the institution.
Justice Ogunbowale ordered Governor Adeleke and other implicated parties to halt further action on the matter “until the determination of the Motion On Notice.”
“A hearing notice is hereby issued to all respondents before the next adjourned date,” said Justice Ogunbowale, ensuring that all parties know the ongoing legal process. The case is set to resume on October 10, 2023.
The temporary restraining order came in response to the motion filed by the counsel for Dr. Odetayo, Mr. Rasheed Adeniyi Oluwofobi, who argued the court should grant the applications in the interest of justice and public interest.
“The claimant was issued a purported suspension letter dated July 11, 2023, and on August 1, 2023, issued a query almost a month interval, suspension before query to the applicants my lord,” Olufowobi highlighted.
Aside from Governor Adeleke, the list of respondents in the lawsuit, marked NICN/OS/37/2023, includes a litany of state officials, among them the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Ministry of Education, and the Governing Council of Osun State Polytechnic.
Also named were key staff members involved in the panel investigating allegations against Dr. Odetayo, including the Chief of Staff to Osun State Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, and Permanent Secretary of Osun State Ministry of Education, Mr. M.A.K. Jimoh.
With these restraining orders in place, the legal dispute throws a wrench into the workings of one of Osun State’s premier educational institutions.
As legal experts point out, the case concerns Dr. Odetayo’s career and brings to light questions of procedural fairness and governance in Nigerian educational institutions.
As both parties prepare for the next hearing, the Osun State community and the nation at large await the court’s ruling to not only resolve Dr. Odetayo’s suspension but also set a precedent for governance standards in educational institutions across Nigeria.
