The Federal High Court, sitting in Osogbo, on Monday, declined to grant the prayers of workers of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, in a case instituted against the institution’s Governing Council over the appointment of the acting Vice Chancellor for the university.

The court, presided over by Justice Babs Kuewumi said it lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate in the matter.

It would be recalled that workers of the university under the aegis of Non-academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and ‎Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) were challenging alleged non-compliance with OAU Statute 6 in the method employed to select the VC.
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They also accused the immediate past Vice Chancellor of OAU, Professor Bamitale Omole, whose tenure expired on June 24, 2016, of allegedly influencing the outcome of the screening exercise to select new VC.

The challenged screening had produced Professor Ayobami Salami as the VC of the OAU, but the development generated controversy, leading to protests from NASU and SSANU members against the emergence of Salami.

The workers in the suit instituted at the Federal High Court were seeking among other reliefs the dissolution of the institution Governing Council by the Federal Government.