Di National Industrial Court for Abuja don adjourn till Monday, 19 Septemb er, 2022 di case between Nigeria goment and di Academic Staff Union of Universities, Asuu.
Di court adjourn am wen di case come up on Friday.
Na dat day di main hearing of di case go begin.
Federal goment bin drag Asuu go di NIC sake of di indefinite strike wey dem dey dey do since February, 2022.
Nigeria goment file interlocutory application to stop Asuu from continuing wit di strike, pending wen court hear and determine di substantive suit.
But Asuu lawyers want make court adjourn di case.
Goment lawyers no agree, as dem tell court say no need to adjourn sake of say di Asuu strike na mata of urgency and national interest.
Presiding Judge, Justice Polycarp Hamman of di court chook eye for all di mata wey dem cari come, e agree say di interlocutory application dey ripe for hearing so dem go hear di mata on Monday 19 September, 2022.
Wetin else happun for court?
Anoda tin wey happun for court on Friday na wen counsel to di Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERA, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, remind Court about SERAP pending application to join di case as necessary party to di suit.
SERAP say di outcome go affect di students wey dem as an organisation dey represent.
Goment counsel James Igwe (SAN) no agree sake of say di mata neva dey ripe for hearing.
Justice Polycarp Hamman go look into di rejoinder on Monday.
Wetin goment lawyer tok
Federal goment lawyer James Uko Igwe tell tori pipo afta court sitting say im dey sure say goment don exhaust all di ways to resolve dis issue na im make dem come court, sake of say di mata dey of national interest.
E add say na di innocent students wey dey house for di past seven months na im di mata dey affect pass, na why di Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige make referral to di Industrial Court.
“I no be federal goment , and I dey certainly sure say federal goment in dia magnanimity wan exhaust all reconciliatory processes, di Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige foresee di strike and im setup necessary ways wey dem go use resolve di strike and goment bin dey serious about am , but while di process dey go on, Asuu do di rollover strike and di indefinite strike.
So wetin di Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige dey do to make dis referral na for di best interest.
I dey sure say di minister for don go court since but e dey try resolve di issue peacefully.” E tok
Wetin ASUU tok
Counsel to Asuu Femi Falana (SAN) tell tori pipo say di Federal goment and Asuu mata come up for mention today for court, say dem don file dia papers and court go hear di main mata on Monday.
“Asuu always dey ready for negotiation and dem dey enta agreement wit goment evritime , di problem wey we dey face as a nation be say di goment no dey respect agreements na wetin dey cause dis strike.” Falana tok.
“Di main purpose of dis case na to frustrate negotiations and no way dey again to solve dis problem witout going back to di drawing table, you must negotiate and na wetin we don dey experience.” Falana add.
E tok say goment use dia hand set up committees but na dem go still troway all di negotiations of di two ogbonge committees dem don set up for di strike in di interest of di nation and students.
“Na only goment fit end dis strike, sake of say goment don betray di trust of not only Asuu but oda Trade Unions”
Femi Falana ask goment why dem dey rush dey go court now afta seven months wey school children dey for house.
Why ASUU dey on indefinite strike
ASUU currently dey on strike for more dan seven months.Two of di main issues na:
- Di public universities lecturers dey demand di implementation of one agreement di federal goment sign wit dem for 2009Asuu dey also ginger ontop di payment platform wey goment wan use to dey pay dem.
- Asuu dey insist on di University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as against di federal goment own, di Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)
Timeline of Asuu strike
