National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday ordered the reinstatement of four lecturers demoted by the Federal University, Otuoke.
The institution had downgraded Prof. Steve Nwabuzor to the rank of Lecturer I and Dr Felina Nwadike, from the rank of Associate Professor to Senior Lecturer in 2018. Others demoted were Dr Sepribo Lawson-Jack, from the rank of Associate Professor to Lecturer I as well as Dr Evans Eze, from Associate Professor to Lecturer II.
Justice Bashiru Alkali ordered the institution to reinstate the claimants and restore to them, their full status, privileges and entitlements. The judge further ruled that the university should pay each of the claimants N5million damages for defamation and N200, 000 as cost of litigation.
All the litigants were formerly lecturing in foreign universities before they returned to the country to take up appointments at the Federal University, Otuoke.
