A lawyer, Barr Chris Okwudili, has declared that the method which produced Prof Simon Ortuanya as the brand new Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka, is flawed.
Okwudili, from the Chambers of T.J. Aondo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, informed DAILY POST on Thursday that it was unsuitable for the Governing Council to have continued with the method regardless of being conscious of the pendency of a authorized go well with.
Aondo, (SAN), is the counsel to Prof M. Mukhtar, one of many contestants for the place of the UNN Vice Chancellor.
Prof Mukhtar had earlier approached the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja in search of judicial interpretations into a number of the actions resulting in the election of a brand new UNN Vice Chancellor.
Nonetheless, the method went on regardless of the pending go well with.
Barr Okwudili has now affirmed that the continuation of the method regardless of the pending go well with amounted to a disturbance of the judicial course of.
In line with him, “the matter is in court docket already; in line with the doctrine of lis pendens, you shouldn’t do something to disturb the judicial course of.
“By the point the matter is heard, the court docket will take the mandatory actions, we’ll anticipate the court docket; it’s now between them and the court docket, not us anymore.”
In the meantime, within the court docket course of obtained by our correspondent, Mukhtar, by way of his lead counsel, Aondo, (SAN), sued the Minister of Training and the then Appearing Vice Chancellor, Prof Oguejiofor Ujam, as 1st and 2nd Defendants, respectively.
He’s in search of for willpower, “Whether or not having regard to the letter of appointment dated seventh February, 2025 issued by the first Defendant, the 2nd Defendant, as Appearing Vice Chancellor, is sure to facilitate the method for the emergence of the substantive vice chancellor of the College of Nigeria inside 6 months of his appointment which terminates on the tenth of August, 2025?
“Whether or not the refusal of the 2nd Defendant to abide by the core mandate prescribed within the 1 Defendant’s letter of appointment dated the seventh day of February, 2025 Invalidates his appointment?
“Whether or not having regard to the provisions of Part 4(2)(a) and (b) the First Schedule of the College of Nigeria Act, the Defendant shouldn’t be sure to promote the emptiness within the submit of the Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka in a good journal or extensively learn newspaper in Nigeria as effectively as represent a search staff to establish and nominate appropriate individuals who usually are not more likely to apply for the submit on their very own volition.
“Whether or not the Defendants can validly depend on an commercial announcement for emptiness for the submit of the Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka made on eleventh October, 2024, which expired 6 weeks after the date of publication, to pick a brand new vice chancellor for the College of Nigeria, Nsukka?
“Whether or not the Defendants can validly depend on the checklist of candidates drawn up from the emptiness announcement for the submit of Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka which cancellation by the 1 Defendant had led to the appointment of the two Defendant.
“Whether or not in view of the necessary and in depth process outlined in Part 4(2)(a) & (b) of the First Schedule of the College of Nigeria Act to be adopted for the choice of a brand new vice chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka, the 2nd Defendant can oversee identical inside the lower than 25 days remaining earlier than his tenure as Appearing Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka elapses?”
The plaintiff then requested the court docket for a declaration “that by advantage of the letter of appointment of the 2nd Defendant, dated seventh February, 2025 with an efficient date of 10 February, 2025, the 2nd Defendant’s tenure as Appearing Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka shall elapse earlier than or on the tenth of August, 2025;
“A declaration that by advantage of the letter of appointment of the two Defendant, dated seventh February, 2025, the 2nd Defendant shouldn’t be eligible to use/contest for the place of the substantive vice chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka every time it’s marketed by the Governing Council.
“A declaration that the Defendants are sure to stick to the provisions of Part 4(2)(a) & (b) of the First Schedule of the College of Nigeria Act within the choice of a substantive vice chancellor for the College of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“A declaration that the checklist of candidates for the place of the substantive vice chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka, drawn up pursuant to the announcement/advert made on eleventh October, 2024 or some other date earlier than the belief of workplace of the 2nd Defendant, is invalid for the facilitation of the emergence of a substantive vice chancellor for the College of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“A declaration {that a} legitimate checklist of candidates for the place of the substantive vice chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka, through the tenure of the 2nd Defendant, can solely be drawn up by way of a nomination course of facilitated by the 2nd Defendant according to the phrases of his letter of appointment dated seventh February, 2025.
“An order of this Honourable Courtroom directing the first Defendant to alleviate the 2nd Defendant of his duties as Appearing Vice Chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka as a result of 2nd Defendant’s lack of ability/refusal to facilitate the method for the emergence of a substantive vice chancellor of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Another order or orders as the Honourable Courtroom might deem match to make.”
Ortuanya was earlier this month introduced as the brand new Vice Chancellor of UNN.
