Industrial Court orders EKSU to reinstate lecturer sacked over alleged sex scandal

The Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, has been ordered to reinstate a lecturer, Dr. Ololade Aduwo, who was dismissed in 2019, by the university authorities over an alleged sex scandal involving a female student, Rachel Olatosin.

 

According to the Punch, the order was issued by Justice Kiyersohok Damulak of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. 

 

This was contained in the judgement of the industrial court, Akure Division in the case with suit number NICN/AK/08/2020 filed by Aduwo against EKSU VC, EKSU Governing Council and the university over his dismissal from the employ of the institution for what he described as phantom sex allegation.

 

Justice Damulak in the judgement delivered on February 8, 2023, declared that the dismissal of the claimant (Aduwo) from his appointment with the defendants (EKSU) by the letter of 5th December, 2019 is wrongful, null and void.”

 

The judge ordered “reinstating the claimant to his employment with full entitlements with the payment of his salaries and allowances from the date of dismissal to the date of judgment today, 8th February, 2023 and thereafter. 

 

The court also ordered EKSU to pay the claimant (Aduwo) the cost of N300,000.

 

The lecturer was captured in a video that went viral in 2019, where he was being molested for sexually harassing a female student.

 

The female student, Olatosin,  had visited the lecturer at about 9pm on June 24, 2019, following which she opened her host’s doors to some others, who alongside her, in a viral video attacked the lecturer on an allegation that he wanted to have an affair with her.

 

After the video went viral on social media, he Governing Council of the university set up an investigative committee to probe Aduwo and subsequently dismissed him.

 

However, Aduwo in his defence described the incident as a set up by some people who were out to ruin his career.

 

Aduwo, through his counsel, O.O Ayenakin and others, had approached the court seeking among others “a declaration that the dismissal of the claimant from his appointment with the defendants vide the letter of 5th December, 2019 but which was served on the claimant in February, 2020 is wrongful, illegal, null and void.”

 

Aduwo, who said his dismissal was flagrant violation of his condition of service, had also sought “an order reinstating him to his employment with full entitlements with the payment of his salaries and allowances from the date of dismissal to the date of judgment and thereafter.”

 

The lecturer had also sought “an order directing the defendants to publish an advertorial of apology to the claimant in at least three national newspapers in Nigeria”.

 

He had told the court that he was not given fair hearing before the investigative committee and all the committees of the defendants and as well alleged that the committees did not follow due process.

 

But EKSU, which said it followed due process with the investigative and other committees, adding that the lecturer did not request to cross-examine the female student or any other witness when he appeared before the panel.

 

The judge held that Aduwo was not given fair hearing as there was “no indication that the panel gave the claimant the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses and he declined” as he faulted the committees, saying, “It is clear that the composition of the investigative panel fell short of the requirement of the law.”