The National Industrial Court has adjourned the suit filed by the Federal Government challenging the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to Monday, September 19 for a hearing of the interlocutory application of the Federal Government.
BASIC FACTS
- The National Industrial court has adjourned the case brought before it by the FG to Monday 19th September.
- The counsel to the FG had asked the court to direct ASUU to call off the strike, since the matter is in court.
- The FG is also asking for an accelerated hearing of the suit against ASUU.
WHAT WE KNOW
Justice Polycarp Hamman of the National Industrial court Abuja, this Friday adjourned till September 19th, the suit between the federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities.
At the resumed sitting on Friday, counsel to the Federal Government, James Igwe, asked the court to give the suit an accelerated hearing due to the urgency of the matter to enable the students to return to school.
Igwe told the court that since the matter was already in court, it would be proper for the strike to be called off pending the determination of the suit.
Counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, argued that the matter was adjourned to Friday for further mention and not for hearing. He said he has been served with the Federal Government’s Interlocutory injunction.
Falana added that ASUU is currently meeting with stakeholders to ensure that this lingering crisis is resolved. He appealed to the Federal Government to cooperate with them to resolve the issue.
Justice Polycarp Hamman, subsequently adjourned the suit to Monday 19, 2022.
CATCH UP
Recall that ASUU has been on strike since February.
The meetings held to resolve the impasse failed and last week, the FG had filed a suit against ASUU, declaring that talks with the university union has failed.
Recall that earlier this week, students under the umbrella of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had barricaded the Lagos Ibadan Express Way interchange in protest against the Federal Government unwillingness to resolve the ASUU strike.
TAKEAWAY
Obviously the federal government has little respect for agreements. It’s clear that the government has no commitment to a speedy resolution of the ASUU crisis.
To ask ASUU to call off the strike because the matter is in court, is an attempt to get the strike called off through the back door. The moment the strike is called off, the federal government will without delay fail to implement the agreement, it never wanted to implement.
How do one explain that the FG set up a committee, which is the latest in many committees, approached the court without waiting for the outcome of the latest committee.
