FG and ASUU

... * Buhari meets with pro-chancellors, promises further consultations. Deji Elumoye, Alex Enumah and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja.

“Because we are waiting for registration, we cannot be part of the suit. So, what the Minister of Labour and Employment has done (make referral) is in the best interest of the nation. “The Minister of Labour and Employment apprehended the strike and set up the necessary mechanisms towards its resolution and the government was serious about it. James Igwe (SAN) urged the court to hear his client’s pending application for interlocutory injunction on the grounds that the issue being one of national interest requires utmost urgency. Earlier in his speech, Professor Nimi Briggs, who led the Pro-Chancellors to the meeting said they had come to meet with the President in three capacities: “As President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as Visitor to the Federal Universities.” He said they applied to the Federal Ministry of Labour for registration in 2018 and were waiting for the handing over of the registration certificate. It is not politics. “It is saying, let intellectualism not be halted. ASUU did the rollover strike and indefinite strike. Igwe opposed the adjournment, on the basis that “there is an affidavit of urgency in national interest for accelerated hearing of the application for injunction seeking to restrain the union from continuing the strike, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.” He added: “We are going out of our way to ensure that this matter is resolved and we appeal to the claimant (FG) to cooperate with us.” Justice Polycarp Hamman of the National Industrial Court will next Monday hear an application for interlocutory injunction to compel members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend their ongoing strike, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The National Industrial Court in Abuja, on Friday, refused the prayers of the Federal Government to direct the striking Academic Staff Union of University, ...

In response, counsel to the government, James Igwe, asked the court to give the substantive suit brought before the court accelerated hearing because of the urgency of the matter to enable the students to resume schools. The court subsequently struck out the earlier application. On his part counsel for the defendant, Falana agreed that in the interest of justice and clarity, it would be proper to hear the application brought by SERAP partaining same matter before the determination of other issues.

Meanwhile, the matter between the government and ASUU was on Friday adjourned to Monday for hearing.

He said: “Because we are still awaiting our certificate of recognition as a union, we cannot join in the suit for now. Good journalism costs a lot of money. The CONUA boss said at the Obafemi Awolowo Universities (OAU), Ile-Ife, for instance, its members had continued to work even when ASUU commenced strike, and insisted that its union is an interested party in the ongoing legal tussle. Though Mr Sunmonu said the union has not completed its registration to grant it official recognition by the government, it was considering how it could be part of the matter to argue its independence and dissociation from the lingering crisis. [Academic Staff Union of Universities](https://asuunigeria.org/) (ASUU) – Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), has said it is consulting its lawyers on the possibility of being joined in the suit between the Nigerian government and the striking ASUU. The faction of the academic staff, which had consistently dissociated itself from the ongoing industrial action, said its presence in the court was necessary since the outcome of the proceedings would affect its members.

The National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Abuja yesterday refused the prayers of the Federal Government to direct the striking Academic Staff Union of ...

The Pro-Chancellors were led to the meeting by Prof. SERAP’s counsel prayed the court to withdraw the earlier application and substitute same with the current one. In response, counsel to the Federal Government asked the court to give the substantive suit brought before the court accelerated hearing because of the urgency of the matter to enable students to return to their schools. He, however, added that the defendant (ASUU) was making moves to meet with stakeholders to ensure that the matter was resolved and asked for adjournment for completion of the process of filing that has commenced. On his part, counsel to the defendant, Falana, agreed that in the interest of justice and clarity, it would be proper to hear the application brought by SERAP pertaining to the same matter before the determination of other issues. The National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Abuja yesterday refused the prayers of the Federal Government to direct the striking Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to resume classes pending the determination of a suit challenging the strike.