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From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The former Provost of the Osun State College of Education Ila-Orangun, Prof Jimoh Atanda Afolabi, has dragged the chairman, governing council of the institution, Elder Peter Babalola before the National Industrial Court, sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Also joined in the suit are the Osun State government, the College of Education, the state Ministry of Education and members of the governing council of the institution.
Prof Afolabi who had initiated the suit before he was removed as the Provost of the college is challenging the governing council’s decision to set up a probe panel to investigate him while in office.
At the hearing of the suit before Justice Hasan Mohammed Yakubu on Tuesday, counsel to Afolabi, Mr John Adesola Adebisi told the court that the defendants did not file any process before the court but were only represented.
Counsels to the defendants, Messrs Muyiwa Ogunleye and Adewale Ishola apologized to the court for their failure to file their processes.
Ogunleye who was counsel to the state government and Ishola who was counsel to Babalola both promised to present their processes to the court at the next adjourned date.
Counsel to the claimant, Mr Adebisi said the suit was filed consequent upon the invitation of his client (Prof Afolabi) before an investigative panel set up by the chairman, governing council of the institution.
He said Afolabi should not be seen as being removed from office as the matter had been instituted before his purported suspension and subsequent removal from office.
“In the face of the law, Prof Jimoh Atanda Afolabi remains the Provost of the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun. His suspension is against one of the prayers before the court. “
The court however adjourned the matter to April 17 for further hearing.
Recall that the institution has been embroiled in crisis following allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the chairman governing council of the college, Peter Babalola.
Babalola had ordered the suspension of Prof Afolabi after which he (Afolabi) was recalled by the state government and a fact finding committee set up by the governor under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Kazeem Akinleye.
The committee, while the assignment was still on, it was gathered that the governing council chairman allegedly lobbied the Commissioner for Education, Mr Wole Elujoba, for the sack of the Provost.
