GOVERNING council members face contempt cargeTHIRTEEN members of the Governing Council, The Polytechnic, Ibadan including the Chairman of the council, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, risk being committed to prison over alleged violation of a court order.

Prof. Afolabi and 12 other members of the council were said to have failed to implement the court judgment which ordered the council to calculate and pay the gratuity and pension to a former lecturer of the institution, Moses Ademola Adesina.

The ex-staff had filed a suit before the State High Court, praying it to order the management of the institution to pay him his entitlement after he retired voluntarily from the institution.

Already, the court will today begin hearing on the alleged contempt charge levelled against the council.  Adesina, retired from the institution in 1999 after working for 12 years but yet to be paid his gratuity. After his appointment, two circulars from the state government were sent which stated that anyone above 45years should not be employed as a lecturer by the institution. He was 51 at the time he was appointed in 1987.

One of the circulars also stated that the appointment of any such over-aged officer already in service should be converted to contract which attracts no pension.

But, Mr. Adesina headed to court arguing that the stoppage and continuous withholding of his pension entitlements were “arbitrary unlawful, null and void”.

He faulted the provisions of the circular that it was not contained in his terms of employment. Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte of the State High Court in his judgment of February 22, 2010 granted the plaintiff’s prayers.