NUC Officials Face Heat as Education Minister Pressured to Act on Contempt Allegations

Due to their alleged noncompliance with court orders requiring the reinstatement of a former employee, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), and four other senior officials have been urged to face disciplinary action from Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa.

Former commission employee Mr. Kunle Rotimi made the call, accusing the NUC leadership of ignoring a number of valid court decisions that instructed the payment of all accumulated entitlements since March 1996 and reinstated him to duty.

Rotimi called the ongoing non-compliance as an act of contempt of court in his plea to the Education Minister. He also revealed that he has started criminal contempt and committal proceedings against the officials.

Additionally included in the court proceedings and cited in the petition are Mr. Paschal Eruaga (Deputy Director of Legal Services), Mrs. Victoria Omorodion (Director of Human Resources), Mrs. Hauwa Amos (Director of Finance), and Mr. Chris Maiyaki (Deputy Executive Secretary).

On July 6, 2020, a National Industrial Court ruling supported Rotimi’s reinstatement and compensation. The Court of Appeal maintained the lower court’s verdict and mandated immediate compliance on June 28, 2024, defeating the NUC’s appeal.

More than a year after the appellate ruling, Rotimi asserts that the NUC has not yet put the decision into effect, which has led to additional legal actions and official notification to the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Public Service Rules (PSR) allow for the suspension or interdiction of public officials who are being investigated for crimes, and he encouraged the Ministry to implement these measures. His own words:

As a result, I respectfully request that the Hon. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, use the PSR against the NUC officials in light of the aforementioned facts.

Read Also: State Governments and Their Growing Influence in the Power Sector

Rotimi, a former journalist, contended that keeping the officials in office while the legal process is ongoing might be considered administrative apathy and harm public institutions.

Adhering to the rule of law and demanding accountability, he declared, “It is unacceptable that public resources may be used to defend acts perceived as contemptuous of court.”

He added that if nothing is done against the officials in spite of the court processes still in progress, the Ministry might be seen as complicit.

Rotimi emphasized that the 1999 Constitution and the ethical duties of public officials under Nigerian law are both violated by the extended reluctance to follow court decisions.