The National Industrial Court in Lagos has directed Lagos State University (LASU) and its governing council to reinstate Dr Udegbe Ebarefimia, a lecturer in the Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Science, to the post of Senior Lecturer. The court, presided over by Justice Maureen Esowe, also ruled that Dr Udegbe be paid her salary differential from the period of her demotion to the effective date of her dismissal, along with all salaries and entitlements from September 2017 when she was unlawfully terminated.
The decision follows a settlement reached by the parties involved in the suits marked NICN/LA/435/2021 and NICN/LA/685/2016. This settlement, by implication, sets aside the judgment in the suit marked NICN/LA/597/2017.
Dr Udegbe had contested her demotion and wrongful termination, citing unproven allegations. The court’s ruling aligns with terms of settlement, concluding the ongoing legal dispute. The lecturer was initially accused of altering marks and manipulating results, leading to her demotion and dismissal. However, the court found the allegations to be false, and Justice Esowe commended the amicable resolution reached by the parties involved.
