Tina Amanda
A Federal High court sitting in Port Harcourt has found the University of Portharcourt guilty for the failure to mobilize one thousand two hundred and twenty-seven graduates for NYSC program and failure to award them degree certificates in their respective discipline.
The plaintiffs were said to have successfully sat and passed their final exams of 2015/2016 academic year, processed their clearances successfully, convocated in 2017, but were refused to advance further with the reason that they paid their school fees late.
The Defendant had earlier published a policy statement that no fee, no exam, asking the graduates to repeat a full academic section for paying school fees late.
The plaintiffs filed a law suit against the University of Port Harcourt with suit number FHC/CS/81/2018 demanding for justice.
The presiding judge Justice Hillary Oshiomah, in his judgement, gave 14 days ultimatum to the University of Port Harcourt to award the graduates of 2015/2016 academic year their certificates and within the 14days post them for National Youth Service.
The school should also make a refund of all the money collected from the graduates after 2016. The judge fined five hundred thousand Naira against the defendant in favour of the plaintiffs for litigation cost.
Defendant’s counsel, Emeka Njoku, in an interview told our reporter Tina Amanda, that he will take the court judgement in good faith.
“the court in its wisdom has given its judgement. It is to take it in good faith, I have nothing to say for now, I will relate the decision of the court to my client to look into and take their position”
Plaintiffs’ counsel, Kingdom Chukwuezie, thanked the court for its fair judgement of giving victory to thousands of students who were unlawfully and unjustly ill-treated.
“This is a reflection of the true status of speedy trial based on public interest. It is an attempt of an institution to deny one thousand two hundred and twenty-seven graduates the result of their several years of academic sojourn on flimsy excuse as the court has said for not paying their school fees and we commend the court for a timely judgement within five months.
“This victory means a whole lot to us, it is a victory to rule of law, victory to education, it’s victory to stakeholders in academic circle, it’s victory to leaders of tomorrow which are these students and indeed victory to the university too, because by this judgement the school will now do the right thing and work within the space of academic standard”
Some of the graduates expressed happiness for the victory they got while thanking the court for allowing justice prevail in the matter.
