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Kehinde Husseinah
The Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institution of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta has threatned to charge the Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Felix Salako of contempt of court over his alleged disobedience to a court order .
The union said its lawyer has written the Vice Chancellor to comply within seven days, threatening that failure to comply would force it to charge him for contempt of court.
PLATFORM TIMES had reported that a National Industrial court in Ibadan in it’s judgement had awarded a sum of N200,000 against the institution over its plan to sanction some workers for joining the union .
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that the workers had reportedly been made to write an undertaking not to join any union, but, later decided to join which led the management slam them a querry .
This development however prompted the NASU to drag FUNAAB , it’s Vice Chancellor and the governing council to court ,protesting the querry issued to eight members of staff for participating in union matters in the school.
The court in it’s judgement faulted the management’s action and awarded a sum of N200,000 to one of the affected staff members against the school .
While seeking the implementation of the court judgement, the NASU wrote a letter through its counsel to the management, demanding the implementation of the judgement .
The union in the letter demanded that Prof. Salako should withdraw the query issued to their members, to disband the investigation committee and to pay the cost of action assessed at N200 000.
PLATFORM TIMES obtained a copy of the letter sent to the Vice Chancellor through the Union’s lawyer, Benjamin Ogunleye .
In the letter, the counsel stated “take further notice that the failure to comply with the terms of the rulings within seven days of the receipt of this letter , a contempt proceeding will be commenced against you in person”.
The NASU chairman disclosed in an interview with our correspondent that “after the lawyer of the union wrote a letter to the vice chancellor and the NASU chairman for them to carry out the directive of the court.
He added that Instead of the VC to comply, we learnt that he has approached the National Industrial Court seeking a stay of action .
He said “The Vice Chancellor Salako is fond of wasting the resources of the university with the belief that he is above the law and that he can do and undo.
“That was why he took it upon himself to be far from associating with the union knowing fully well that he doesn’t have the power to do that; that was why our union took him to court and the case was eventually won against him.
“He is yet to make the payment, yet to carry out the ruling, yet to write the letter for the withdrawal of the query.
“ Our lawyer has written him, we need seven days for his compliance ,failure to do so would lead him to being charged for contempt of court.
‘And we are waiting for the next move that would be made.”
