Disengaged workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) in Ondo State have filed a contempt of court charge against the institution’s acting Rector, Engr. Boniface Ologunagba at the Industrial Court sitting in Akure, the state capital following his alleged refusal to comply with court judgement which ordered for the recall of the sacked workers.
It was gathered that the rector has been avoiding to be served the court process since the Appeal Court in Akure delivered its judgement on June 26, that the status quo should remain on the same ruling of the lower court, which ordered that 15 out of the 32 embattled workers should be reinstated.
Ologunagba was said to have been allegedly accosted last Wednesday at Ogbese in Akure North local government, along Owo /Akure expressway by court bailiff, who was accompanied by armed policemen before he was served the court process.
Filing a fresh suit through their lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana SAN, the aggrieved workers sought for one prayer.
The prayer reads, “an order committing the rector of RUGIPO to prison for failure to obey the judgement of this honourable Industrial Court delivered on September 30, 2014, and further order or orders as the honourable court may deem it fit to make in the circumstance”.
However, no date has been fixed by the court for the hearing.
The Polytechnic relieved the workers their jobs on January 1, 2013 and based its action on what it described as “reconstruction of the polytechnic”.
But the court ruled that 15 of the workers were wrongfully sacked by the management and ordered for their reinstatement.
When contacted on phone for his reaction on the matter, the rector only replied with a text message that “sorry, I have a meeting now”.
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