Following the Appeal Court’s decision to order the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to suspend its eight-month-long strike with immediate effect, the union would meet on Sunday (today).
Remember that the Appeal Court on Friday ordered the striking lecturers to obey an earlier decision by the National Industrial Court, which ruled that the union’s prolonged industrial action must be suspended while negotiations continue.
Recall that on February 14, this year, ASUU shut down public universities across the country while demanding that previous agreements between it and the Federal Government be fully implemented.
However, after futile efforts by the government and other stakeholders to reach an agreement with the lecturers, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration dragged ASUU to the National Industrial Court on September 11.
On September 24, the court ordered the union to return to the classroom while negotiations with the federal government continued.
But, dissatisfied with the ruling, ASUU filed an appeal with the appellate court.
However, the Appeal Court ruled on Friday that the union must obey the lower court’s ruling and call off the strike immediately pending the outcome of the substantive suit.
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU, told DAILY POST on Friday in response to the ruling that the union would review the Appeal Court’s order before deciding on the next course of action.
“We have not received the ruling; when we do, we will review it with our lawyer, and then we can take the next step,” he said.
While reacting to the development on Friday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, stated that labor controllers across the federation are monitoring schools to ensure compliance with the Court of Appeal’s ruling.
“I have directed labor controllers in the states and zones to visit schools and see if vice-chancellors have opened the gates.”
“If they don’t, they’ll be charged with contempt,” he said on a Channels Television program.
Meanwhile, a union member who requested anonymity told DAILY POST on Saturday that the ASUU National Executive Council would meet today to review the Appeal Court decision.
“The Appeal Court ruling will be critically reviewed on Sunday, and we will then know the fate of Nigerian students who have been forced to stay at home for nearly eight months due to the Federal Government’s negligence,” he said.
“Ngige and the Buhari administration failed to recognize that, even if they forced the union to resume work, they could not force lecturers to teach Nigerian students whose future was jeopardized.”
When asked for confirmation, the ASUU president simply stated, “we don’t advertise our meeting, it is private.”
