The Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Ayo Akinyelure, has threatened that the Senate may direct the Ministry of Finance not to release funds to the University of Ibadan for its 2023 budget.
Akinyelure issued the threat while speaking on the case of a female lecturer, Dr Adenike Ogunshe, whose appointment was terminated by the university.
During the last sitting of his panel, the lawmaker said a court had ordered UI to reinstate Ogunshe but the university had refused to obey the order.
The committee had, about a month ago, summoned the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, over the alleged conspiracy and victimisation of Ogunshe of the Department of Microbiology.
Akinyelure said,
“The VC should respect the laws of the land by obeying the judgment of the court and reinstating the woman. Failure to do so would amount to contravening the Nigerian constitution.”
Ogunshe had, in a petition to the Senate, claimed that her appointment was terminated unjustifiably by the institution about seven years ago.
She had requested the Senate to compel the university authorities to obey a court judgment that had directed that she must be reinstated.
Ogunshe claimed that the termination of her appointment had deprived her of the opportunity of becoming the first female professor of microbiology in Nigeria.
She alleged that there was a grand conspiracy against her.
Reading her petition, Akinyelure said,
“This woman alleged that there was a grand conspiracy by the university against her person; her career; her existence and human rights due to the controversial appointment of Dr Onilude as acting Head of Department between 2005 and 2006.
“She requested that the Senate should look into the matter and, among other things, urge the university to stop further victimisation, dehumanisation, physical assault, against her.
“Ogunshe and the authorities of the University of Ibadan were invited to appear before the committee on December 7, 2021.
“Ogunshe appeared and made a presentation while a representative of UI, Adegoke Adekunle, told the committee that he came to request another date to enable the university to make a presentation.”
Akinyelure lamented that several invitations extended to the authorities of the university to appear before his panel had yielded no positive results.
He said the Senate might take appropriate sanctions against the Vice Chancellor if he failed to appear in person before the panel this week.
Akinyelure stated,
“The woman went to court to challenge her termination of appointment and the court voided the action of the university.
“The authorities did not appeal against the verdict or apply for the stay of execution five months after the verdict was delivered.
“The Senate might not hesitate to direct the Federal Ministry of Finance to stop releasing money to the authorities of the university of Ibadan to fund its 2023 budget if they failed to obey the laws of the land.
“On this note therefore, the Senate is inviting the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan to come and throw light on the actions being taken to reinstate the woman that would be the first professor of microbiology in Nigeria.”
