Court orders RSU pay ex-VC Fakae 7-year salary arrears

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Industrial Court in Port Harcourt has directed the Rivers State University (RSU) to pay its former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barineme Fakae, his salary for seven years.

Prof. Fakae, a Professor of Veterinary Medicine, had sued the university at the Industrial Court for stopping his salaries on the allegation that his employment was irregular.

Fakae had moved from the University of Nigeria Nsukka to the Rivers State University where he became Vice Chancellor for eight years, between 2007 and 2015.

In August 2015 he handed over to Prof. Blessing Didia after the expiration of his tenure and started working as a Lecturer.

He also transferred his record of service from the University of Nigeria to the Rivers State University.

But his salaries were stopped.

The presiding Judge,Justice Polycap Hamman, ruled that Fakae’s employment was regular and valid.

He also said that it was illegal for the University to withhold Prof. Fakae’s salaries for the aforesaid period of years and ordered that he be paid all his entitlements in full.

The former Vice Chancellor told journalists that he had passed through a harrowing ordeal in the past seven years, with equanimity.

He thanked God for the victory.

It was not clear if the University would appeal the judgement.