The Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, has ordered the reinstatement of four lecturers demoted by the Federal University of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area.
Recall that in 2018 the institution downgraded Prof Steve Nwabuzor from the rank of a professor to Lecturer 1, Dr Felina Nwadike, Associate Professor to Senior Lecturer. 
Others are Dr Sepribo Lawson-Jack, an Associate Professor to Lecturer I, and Dr Evans Eze from Associate Professor to Lecturer II.
Presiding judge, Justice Bashiru Alkali, ruled that the claimants be reinstated to their full status, privileges and entitlements by the institution.
Justice Alkali ruled that the university should pay each claimant N5m for defamation and N200,000 each for cost of litigation.
All the litigants were from the Diaspora, who returned to serve in the university.
