The Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has ruled against Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) for allegedly downgrading a graduate's academic result. The court declared that the university acted arbitrarily after changing a confirmed 'Pass with Credit' classification to a simple 'Pass' without justification.
Background of the Case
The lawsuit was filed by Shekoni Jemima Oluwagbemisola, a Physiotherapy graduate who completed her Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (B.MR) in 2023. She informed the court that OAU initially confirmed her result as 'Pass with Credit' in November 2023 and even listed the same grade during its 47th Convocation ceremony. The trouble began when she applied for her certificate and discovered that the school had altered her classification to 'Pass' without providing any explanation. After internal efforts to resolve the issue failed, she sought legal redress.
Court Ruling and Damages
Delivering judgment, Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi stated that the university acted in an 'arbitrary and reckless' manner and failed to follow proper academic and administrative procedures. The court held that OAU violated the student's fundamental rights by changing her result without a lawful reason. The judge also criticized the institution for not conducting a proper investigation before making changes to her academic record, emphasizing that such actions could not be justified in a reputable university system.
The ruling highlighted that the downgrade caused the graduate emotional distress and negatively impacted her academic and career plans, especially since she had already used the earlier result for postgraduate applications. Consequently, the court ordered OAU to issue her certificate reflecting the original 'Pass with Credit' result, in line with the university's earlier Senate approval. Additionally, the court directed the school to pay N5 million in damages and N800,000 as legal costs for the case.
Related Incidents
In a similar vein, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian man who began his academic journey at Obafemi Awolowo University as a pre-degree student eventually graduated from Ekiti State University after facing admission setbacks. He explained that he was denied his desired course at OAU, which forced him to transfer to EKSU. The transition came with challenges, including repeating 200 level after changing his academic path. Despite the difficulties, he successfully bagged a second-class upper degree in Human Physiology with a 4.43 CGPA, while balancing his studies with running a makeup business.
Another report disclosed that a Nigerian nursing graduate, Ganiyu Waliyat O., celebrated her induction after completing her studies at the University of Ibadan with a first-class degree and top academic honours. She shared that she initially began her academic journey at Obafemi Awolowo University as a Chemistry student in 2018 but continued pursuing her dream of studying Nursing, which later led to her transfer to UI. Despite challenges, including the COVID-19 disruption, she excelled academically and graduated as the second-best student in her set, earning multiple awards including the Vice Chancellor's Cash Prize.
