Sacked lecturer of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (Unizik), Dr. Peter Ekemezie, has dragged the institution before the National Industrial Court, Awka Division, demanding ₦100 million as damages, his re-instatement and promotion to the rank of a professor.
Joined as respondents are the Council, Pro-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, the Registrar, Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone, Prof. John K. Nduka and Dr. Chigozie J.O. Anarado, respectively.
Other prayers of the applicant are payment of all the outstanding salaries, allowances and emoluments including other benefits due him. Also, an order compelling the defendants to make a publication regarding his re-instatement, apology in all the national dailies and reverse the public withdrawal of the doctorate degree awarded to him by the institution.
In a 37-paragraph-affidavit deposed to by the claimant, he averred that his sack was unlawful, null and void and a breach of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Senior Staff Conditions of Service.
“I surprisingly received a letter purporting to have dismissed me. Before the dismissal letter, no disciplinary procedure as stipulated in the conditions of service was followed. I was not at anytime reported to the head of department for any misconduct, neither was I issued with a query or warning.”
He further averred that the appointment of a senior staff like him was vested on the school’s authority while recommendations for disciplinary actions were vested in the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (SSDC) after fair hearing; that he was duly awarded a doctorate degree in Pure and Industrial Chemistry; that what the defendants termed false Master of Science (M.Sc) statement of result with registration number: 2004351001P, was not false rather was issued in error by the defendants and when the error was discovered, the defendants issued him another M.Sc. certificate registration number: 2005546003F without withdrawing the erroneous one.
THE SUN, NIGERIA