A Lagos based legal practitioner, Odiana Eriata has dragged the Edo State Government and the Ministry of Education to court over the directive to wind up the Edo State College of Education, Igueben Campus.
Joined in the suit marked 13)101 05/2022 are the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the Edo State College of Education (Igueben as Main Campus).
The suit is brought in pursuant to the Transitional Provisions of Sections 9 and 33 of the Edo State College of Education Law 2022, Order 3 Rule 9 and 22 of the Edo State High Court (Civil Procedure Rules 2018).
Odiana is asking whether by the combined interpretation of the said provisions is to ensure continuity of the Academic activities of the College of Education, Igueben, now Edo State College of Education with the main campus at Igueben in spite of the repealing of College of Education, Igueben of 1981.
Other question he is asking the court is whether by the combined interpretation of the law, the action of the defendants to terminate the admission of the students of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Academic Session of the said college in the name of restructuring was not only ultra but also against the spirit and intendment of Sections 9 and 33 of the Edo State College of Education Law 2020.
Finally, he is asking whether the directive that all members of the staff should vacate the premises and handover the college property is not the same as disrupting and or shutting down of academic activities and also against the law setting up the school.
Mr. Odiana is then seeking an order of perpetual injuction restraining the respondents or their agents from disrupting or shutting down the academic activities of the school in the guide of restructuring and for such orders or further orders as may be deem fit in the circumstance.
It would be recalled that the school was closed down in 1984 and was reopened 22 years after.
But in February, 2021, the Edo State Government commissioned a Consultant, Professor Roseline Osagie to restructure the college into a single college with three campuses in line with the Edo State College of Education Law 2020.
Mr. Odiana avers that the Professor, Roseline Osagie in executing her task jettisoned, ignored and set aside all the rights which the Edo State College of Education guarantee to all staff and students of the school.
This, Mr. Odiana said threatens jobs and academic activities of the stakeholders.
The matter has been assigned to court 7 before Honourable Justice J. O. Okeaya-Inneh.
