Not satisfied with the manner his appointment as Librarian of Plateau State University was terminated, Dr. James Mato Gwang, has dragged the State University and its Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to the Industrial Court in Plateau state.

In suit No. NICN/Jos/39/2015, Dr. Gwang lumped in the entire University Governing Council and the Vice-Chancellor as Respondents.

In the Complaint filed by his Counsel, Bitrus Fwangshak (Esq) of Bitrus Fwangshak & Co of No. 9 Boundary Street (Book House), Opposite St. Paul’s Academy, Jos, Plateau State, at the Industrial Court.

The plaintiff is seeking the court  to direct the respondents to calculate and pay him all accumulated salaries and other remunerations from the month of May, 2015 to date which “The Respondents have not paid.

In an alternative prayer, Dr. Mato is seeking an order of court, directing the respondents to compute and pay him all the salaries, allowances and other perquisites of office he would have enjoyed from September, 2015 to 28^thFebruary, 2018, when he would have fully served his tenured appointment.

In the process filed on behalf of Dr. James Mato by his Counsel, Mato wants the Court to declare that having been appointed as the University Librarian for a fixed term of 5 years with effect from 1/3/2013, and having been functioning in that office, he has acquired a vested interest, which cannot in anyway be taken away save in accordance with the provision of the Plateau State University Law, No. 4, 2006.

He also wants the Court to declare that the proceedings and all resolutions reached at the 31^st regular meeting of the Governing Council at the Council Chambers on 10^th September, 2015, is null and void ab initio, as it affects him because, the Council was not properly constituted.

Furthermore, Mato wants the court to declare that the Respondents cannot contract out of statute (the Plateau State University Law) by altering the membership of the Governing council and include into it, the representative of the National University Commission to participate in the proceedings of the Council taking adverse decision against him.

Dr. James Mato, wants the Court to declare that the presence of the representative of the National University Commission (NUC) in the person of Mr. Christopher Maiyaki, at the Governing Council meeting held on 10^thSeptember, 2015, renders all resolutions arrived there as null and void, as it concerns him, as the University Law, 2006, does not in any way contemplate a representative of the NUC, as a member of the Governing Council.

According to Dr. Mato’s claim, he was not given fair hearing as the Vice Chancellor who he claimed was allegedly indicted by the report, seated actively in the meeting and presented allegations against him.

However, in their Joint statement of defence, the Respondents averred that Dr. Mato is no longer the Librarian of the University having voluntarily withdrawn his service vide a letter dated 10^th September, 2015.

The respondent denied the facts contained in paragraphs 10 of the complaint and had told the court that they will “put the claimant to the strictest proof of all the averments thereof.”

Adding that, “In answer to paragraph 13 of the Complaint, the Respondents aver that contrary to the claim of the Complainant, he was thoroughly indicted by the National University Commission Fact-Finding Panel’s Report.”

Culled from Reality newspaper

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PLASU librarian drags Prof. Jega and others to court over appointment dispute