LASU Reaches Agreement To Reinstate Sacked Lecturer

Justice Maureen Esowe declared that the terms of settlement filed by the parties have become the judgment of tahe court.

LASU and its governing council agreed that the sacked lecturer, Dr. Scholastica be paid her salary differential with effect from the period of her demotion to the position of Lecturer I as well as all her salaries and entitlements from September, 2017 when she was dismissed unlawfully on allegations, which turned out to be false.

Justice Esowe’s order followed the terms of settlement entered into by the parties in suits marked NICN/LA/435/2021 and NICN/LA/685/2016.

The order of the court, also by implication set aside the judgment in the suit marked NICN/LA/597/2017, in which the NIC also validated her removal.

The claimant had filed the first suit marked NICN/LA/685/2016 against the Lagos State University (LASU) and the Lagos State University governing council, Ojo, as first and second respondents respectively to challenge her demotion and the wrongful termination of her employment on unproven allegation.

In her originating motion, dated November 17, 2021, filed by her counsel, Mr. Jeff Kadiri and Mr. Tope David, she prayed the court to declare null and void the “illegal dismissal”.

The institution had alleged that she altered marks and manipulated the results of students.

However, her appointment as senior lecturer was withdrawn by the respondents, which prompted her to file the suit, NICN/LA/686/16 before Justice Obaseki, against the respondents, challenging the wrongful withdrawal of her hard-earned appointment.

Whilst the case was still pending before Justice Obaseki, she was issued a query on April 5, 2017, titled, “Allegation of Alteration of Marks,” accusing her of manipulating results.

She argued that the allegation of manipulation of student’s result against her, was never proved as the purported students whose results were said to have been manipulated did not appear before the respondents’ disciplinary committee and nobody came up to testify against the claimant, hence the panel recommended that she should be placed on suspension for three months.

“However, rather than follow the recommendations of the disciplinary committee, the respondents whimsically decided to dismiss me,” she stated.

Reacting to the judgment that affirmed her dismissal, she said that the respondents suppressed material facts before Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, which led to the judgment dated July 29, 2021.

“The respondents misled the judge to believe that I had altered the results of students based on false evidence presented by the respondents.

“Justice Ogbuanya believed that the said altered results existed, and made a consequential order dated July 29, 2021, directing the respondents to recall the results/certificates of the affected students for re-computation and reissue to reflect the correct Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) and class of degree.

“He also ordered that compliance should be published in a national newspaper within two months of the judgment and evidence of compliance to be filed in the case file.

“However, the respondents disobeyed the order made by Justice Ogbuanya,” she pointed out.

According to her, the respondents’ failure to obey the court order led her to file a new suit marked NICN/LA/435/2021 before Hon. Justice Esowe where she prayed the court for an order setting aside the judgment of Justice Ogbuanya, the same having been obtained by fraud, misrepresentation and deceit.

During proceedings, the respondents called for an amicable settlement of the matter, culminating in the terms of settlement, which was adopted by Justice Esowe on November 8, 2023.

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