September 12, (THEWILL) – The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Abuja, has adjourned to September 16th, 2022, the suit filed by the Federal Government against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), over the ongoing nationwide strike by public varsity lecturers.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Federal Government had asked the court to order ASUU to suspend its strike, while it engages the union to address the dispute.
A statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations, at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, indicated that the matter was referred to the registrar of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria by the Minister, Chris Ngige, on Thursday, 8 September.
At Monday’s proceedings, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), sought to join the suit as an interested party.
SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegnoruwa (SAN), said his client had filed a similar suit to compel the Federal Government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking lecturers.
He said SERAP’s request to join in the matter is based on the need to forestall the duplicity of outcomes concerning the industrial dispute. However, counsel to the Federal Government, Tijjani Gazali (SAN), opposes SERAP’s application to consolidate the suits.
He told the judge that SERAP’s application was premature as the case was billed for mention on Monday.
Counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, however, argued that he was aware of the efforts by lawyers to file court papers in the suit on Monday.
The judge ruled that the suit is not ripe for consolidation by SERAP, adding that he was only presiding over the matter as a vacation judge, while the case would be assigned to another judge for adjudication.
He ordered the parties in the suit to file and exchange court documents, as he adjourned the matter to Friday, 16 September 2022.
Speaking to journalists outside the court, counsel to ASUU, Falana, berated the Federal Government for going to the court.
Falana, who told the Federal Government to stop its blackmailing of ASUU, insisted that university lecturers have not stopped working.
On his part, the counsel to the Federal Government, Tijanni Gazali, said ASUU cannot dictate to the Federal Government what platform its members are to be paid.
He said the agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU has been substantially implemented, while details of their agreement will form part of the papers they will be filing before the court.
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