NUC Executive Secretary and Four Officials Face Contempt Charges Over Disobeyed Court Order
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, along with four other top officials, are currently facing contempt of court charges for allegedly disobeying a court order to reinstate a former staff member, Mr. Kunle Rotimi, and provide him with all denied entitlements.
The other officials named in the contempt charges are:
Mr. Chris Maiyaki, NUC Deputy Executive Secretary
Mrs. Hauwa Amos, Director of Finance & Accounts
Mrs. Victoria Omoredion, Director of Human Resources
Mr. Pascal Eruoga, Deputy Director of Legal Services
The legal saga stems from a case initiated by Mr. Kunle Rotimi, who claimed that his approved course allowances and salaries were unlawfully withheld in 1995/96 after he refused a demand for gratification from some management officials to facilitate the release of funds for his Master's degree program at the University of Ibadan. This alleged action compelled him to resign in protest, a resignation which the NUC reportedly rejected, leading to his dismissal without a fair hearing.
Mr. Rotimi pursued legal action at the National Industrial Court, which ruled in his favor on July 6, 2020, ordering the NUC to reinstate him and pay all his accrued entitlements, including salaries, allowances, emoluments, bonuses, privileges, and benefits from March 1996 up to the judgment date.
The NUC appealed this decision, but the Appeal Court in Lagos dismissed their appeal in its entirety on June 28, 2024, upholding the trial court's verdict and mandating immediate compliance. However, as of May 2025, ten months after the Appeal Court's ruling, the NUC management had reportedly failed to comply with the order, leading to the current contempt charges against the aforementioned officials.
