The National Industrial Court sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital has absolved the duo of former Registrar of Osun State University, Dr. Julius Faniran, and the erstwhile University’s Bursar, Dr Fatai Lasisi of financial impropriety, and ordered the University to accord them their entitlements accordingly.
The presiding judge, Justice Faustina Iyabode Kola-Olalere described all allegations levelled against them as baseless and unfounded, adding that the substance of the case rather than the technicality indicate that the men have acted in line with the rules and regulations of the University, and were not found wanting of any misdeed.
It could be recalled that both Faniran and Lasisi were suspended by the University Governing Council, headed by Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN) in February 2015 for alleged financial impropriety and maladministration, forcing them to approach the court for redress.
The visitor to the University, Governor Rauf Aregbesola upon the suspension set up a visitation panel on February 17, 2015, headed by the Vice-chancellor of the University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola to investigate the matter and give it’s report.
The panel, according to Lasisi, who spoke on behalf of the duo at a press conference on Thursday in Osogbo could not found them wanting of any misdeed, which made the new Chairman of the council, Mallam Yusuf Ali(SAN) to invite them for meeting as to reach an amicable resolution to the lingering crisis.
“The intervention of the new Chairman of the Council, Mallam Yusuf Ali substantially doused the tension; he made sure that we had an amicable resolution of the melee.
” The University management admitted that our suspension was done in bad faith, and allegations levelled against us were all baseless and unfounded, it was sealed in black and white, and this eventually formed the basis in which the judgement was based.
“It is indeed our joy that we were vindicated eventually, that is why we consider this briefing very important for the purpose of proving our innocence as affirmed by the court to the whole world.
“The university has since complied with the court ruling, paying us all our entitlements, including our cars which were seized from us during the crisis.
“This judgement has reinforced our confidence in the judiciary as the last home of commoners at all times, we are also grateful to Mallam Yusus Ali for his wisdom”, he said.
Comments