18/05/2026
Today at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Judicial Division, we secured judgment against the Rivers State Government on behalf of 97 staff members of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUOE), whose salaries were stopped in February 2016 following a directive issued by the Governor of Rivers State at the time.
On 13th June 2018, the National Industrial Court delivered judgment in favour of the staff, declaring that their employment was valid and subsisting; that the directive stopping their salaries was unlawful, null and void; and restraining the Governor and IAUOE from interfering with their employment.
However, the National Industrial Court declined to make an order compelling the defendants to pay the staff their outstanding salaries.
For over 10 years, these staff members endured hardship without salaries.
Today, that injustice was corrected.
The Court of Appeal dismissed the Government’s appeal against the judgment of the National Industrial Court and allowed our cross-appeal challenging the lower court’s refusal to order payment of the staff’s salaries.
The Court of Appeal accordingly ordered the Rivers State Government and IAUOE to pay the staff their salaries and emoluments from February 2016 until full compliance with the judgment.
Justice has been served. ⚖️
