The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will meet on Sunday following the Appeal Court’s decision directing it to immediately halt its eight-month strike (today).
Recall that on Friday, the Appeal Court ruled that the union must halt its protracted industrial action while negotiations are ongoing and ordered the academics who were on strike to comply.
PulseNets recalls that on February 14 of this year, ASUU shut down all public colleges nationwide in protest of the incomplete implementation of previous agreements it had with the federal government.
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, however, hauled ASUU to the National Industrial Court on September 11 after futile attempts by the government and other parties to establish a truce with the resentful academics.
On September 24, the court issued an injunction directing the union to resume teaching while talks with the federal government are ongoing.
But angry at the decision, ASUU went to the appellate court to challenge it.
But the Appeal Court said on Friday that the union must abide by the lower court’s decision and cease the strike right away while the merits of the case are being resolved.
In response to the decision, ASUU President Professor Emmanuel Osodeke told PulseNets on Friday that the union would consider the Appeal Court’s verdict before deciding on its course of action.
“We have not received the ruling, when we get it, we will review it with our lawyer and then we can take the next step”. he said.
In response to the news on Friday, Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, stated that labour inspectors are checking schools in all of the federation’s States to make sure they are following the Court of Appeal’s decision.
“I’ve requested that labour inspectors visit the schools to check on whether the vice chancellors have unlocked the gates in the states and the zones.
He stated while appearing on a Channels Television programme,
“If they don’t, they will be charged for contempt,”
The National Executive Council of ASUU will meet today to consider the Appeal Court decision, according to a union member who asked to remain anonymous and spoke to PulseNets on Saturday.
He said, “The Appeal Court ruling will be critically reviewed on Sunday and it is after that we will know the fate of Nigerian students who have been forced to stay at home for almost eight months due to the Federal Government’s negligence.
“Ngige and the Buhari government failed to understand that even if they force the union to resume work, they cannot force the lecturers to teach the Nigerian students whose future have been jeopardized”.
The ASUU president, however, merely responded, “we don’t advertise our meeting, it is private” when asked for confirmation.
