Education Minister Asked to Discipline NUC Officials for Alleged Court Disregard
The National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu and four other senior officials have been urged to face disciplinary action from Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa for allegedly disobeying court orders requiring the reinstatement of a former employee.
In his call, Mr. Kunle Rotimi, a former commission employee, accused the NUC leadership of ignoring a number of valid court decisions that ordered him to return to service and pay all of his accrued entitlements since March 1996.
In his plea to the Education Minister, Rotimi revealed that he had started criminal contempt and committal proceedings against the officials, calling the ongoing non-compliance an act of contempt of court.
Deputy Executive Secretary Mr. Chris Maiyaki, Director of Finance Mrs. Hauwa Amos, Director of Human Resources Mrs. Victoria Omorodion, and Deputy Director of Legal Services Mr. Paschal Eruaga are also included in the petition and court proceedings.
Rotimi was reinstated and given compensation after a July 6, 2020, ruling by the National Industrial Court. When the Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s verdict and mandated immediate compliance on June 28, 2024, the NUC forfeited its appeal.
But Rotimi says the NUC hasn’t put the order into effect more than a year after the appellate ruling, which has led to additional legal actions and official notification to the Federal Ministry of Education.
He called on the Ministry to implement the Public Service Rules (PSR) provisions that permit public officials who are being investigated for crimes to be suspended or placed under interdiction. He stated:
Given the aforementioned circumstances, I respectfully request that Hon. Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa use the PSR against the NUC officials.
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According to Rotimi, a veteran journalist, keeping the officials in office while the legal process is ongoing could undermine public institutions’ credibility and reflect administrative indifference.
He urged accountability and adherence to the rule of law, saying, “It is unacceptable that public resources may be used to defend acts perceived as contemptuous of court”.
He also cautioned that if the officials are not dealt with despite the court proceedings still in progress, the Ministry might be seen as complicit.
Rotimi emphasized that a protracted disregard for court rulings is a violation of the 1999 Constitution as well as the ethical duties that Nigerian law requires of public officials.
