By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A university don, Dr. Adeyemi Ezekiel, has dragged the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State (FUOYE) Counsel, Mr. T.S. Adegboyega, Esq. of No 141, Station Road, Idi-Seke, Osogbo, Osun State, to court for misuse of the court in favour of his client, FUOYE.

Adeyemi who described himself as a victim of administrative high-handedness is requesting the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to investigate, take disciplinary action and stop Barr. Adegboyega, for misuse of court in favour of his client, FUOYE.

According to the Associate Professor at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, he was waiting to be announced as a full professor before his appointment was terminated on 31st October, 2018, over the role he played as the Chairman/Convener of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (ASUU-FUOYE) Committee on The State of the institution.

In a letter he addressed to Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee in the Matter of The Legal Practitioners Act 2004 between Dr. Adeyemi Ezekiel (Applicant/Petitioner and Mr T.S Adegboyega, Esq, made available to News Express, he said: “My appointment was maliciously terminated by the management of Federal University Oye-Ekiti on 31st October, 2018 based on my role as the Chairman/Convener of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (ASUU-FUOYE) committee on ‘THE STATE OF FUOYE: MATTERS ARISING’.

“I challenged the termination of my appointment at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Akure through my lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and won in November 2019. The management of FUOYE appealed against the judgment of NICN in this matter to the Court of Appeal, Akure.

“The appeal was struck out on 6th October 2021 at the Court of Appeal.

“The management of FUOYE sought the counsel of Mr. T.S. Adegboyega, Esq. to appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court having abandoned their former lawyer, (Mr. M.T. Abari Esq. of Motolani & Associates; who represented the defendant (FUOYE) up to the Court of Appeal.

“Sir, we all know that the Court of Appeal is the final arbiter in respect of all matters decided by the NICN based on the constitution that established NICN. This means that the defendant’s (FUOYE) lawyer, Mr. T.S. Adegboyega, Esq. and the University management contravened the law.

“This contravention has further exposed me and my vulnerable dependents to undue public embarrassment, ridicule and starvation.

“It is also important to bring to the notice of this Committee that the defendant (FUOYE) and defendant’s Counsel did not apply for a stay of execution, which implies that they must respect court procedure, return to the status quo before proceeding to the apex court.

The Petitioner said that the action of the management of the University and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasima, in particular, evidently showed that they wanted to keep him away from the University indefinitely by using Mr. Adegboyega who has refused to stand by the ethics of his profession, knowing fully that the case cannot come-up quickly at the Supreme Court.

Adeyemi added: “The FUOYE Vice–Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, deliberately directed Mr. Adegboyega to appeal the judgment of the Court of Appeal in this case to the Supreme Court because of the undeniable evidence that he collected double salaries from Ekiti State University and Federal University, Oye-Ekiti simultaneously, which I presented at the NICN as exhibit and one of the reasons for my victimization during trial of my case against FUOYE.

“That Mr. Adegboyega, being a senior lawyer of many years in practice, ought to know that the Court of Appeal is the last Court of resort in labour matters but he deliberately filed an appeal in respect of my matter to the Supreme Court with the intention of delaying the course of justice and frustrate me from enjoying the judgment delivered in my favour at NICN since November 2019. This action of FUOYE management and Mr. Adegboyega is a clear waste of public fund which should attract punishment from the government of Nigeria.

“That Mr. Adegboyega should have advised his client to appeal to the Court of Appeal, Akure, which is the last resort if the management of FUOYE disagreed with the judgment. Since it is a known fact that that Court can correct herself.

“After series of calls to Mr. Adegboyega by my lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), to withdraw the case, knowing fully the implications of what he has done. I am only left with this option of this petition to your respected body.

“My prayer: (i) That Mr. Adegboyega should be compelled to withdraw the case from the Supreme Court with immediate effect and advise his client to abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal.”

The petitioner further called for the sanctioning of Mr. Adegboyega for the abuse of court process, saying that it would serve as a deterrent to other lawyers who may want to follow his unethical orientation.

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