By Chinwendu Agoha (Education/Media & Governance Reporter) and Glory Abuh-Adejoh (Agency News Reporter)
The striking University lecturers under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) hinted on Friday, that the nearly eight months serial industrial action embarked upon by the nation's University Teachers over the non-implementation of it's 2009 agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria among other associated demands, will soon be resolved.
This assurance was given at the weekend by ASUU through it's Counsel, Femi Falana.
Speaking on behalf of the Union, the civil rights lawyer informed the National Industrial Court on Friday, September 16, 2022, that ASUU will be meeting stakeholders in the House of Representative on Tuesday, September 20th to ensure that the matter is fully and amicably resolved.
By the ASUU assurance, it is therefore hoped, that students would be returning to their various universities to resume their academic activities already truncated by the strike action.
However, the National Industrial Court, on Friday, fixed Sept.19 to deliver ruling on Federal Government’s prayer asking the court to order the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its seven months strike.
The matter which was first mentioned on Monday was adjourned until Friday for further mention before Justice Polycarp Hamman.
When the matter came up, Mr J.U.K Igwe SAN informed the court that going by its directive on Monday that the claimant should file its process latest by Tuesday, that they had filed two processes.
He added that the first one was motion on notice dated and filed Monday for an interlocutory injunction.
Igwe further stated that the claimant also filed on the same date an affidavit of facts in support of the referral sent by the Minister of Labour and Employment.
He also averred that some questions were raised with a full complement of a written address. He also submitted that the defendant had been served with proof of service before the court.
The counsel said that however, as at the time the court was sitting, he had not received an response from ASUU.
Igwe proceeded to urge the court to take the applications as it was ripe to be taken, stating that the matter is of national interest and urgent as million of students have been at home since Feb.14.
Mr Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to ASUU in response acknowledged receiving process from the claimant and stated that they were already filing their reply in the court’s registry.
Falana added that the Minister of Labour and Employment lacked the power to ask the court in his referral to order the defendant to go back to work.
He also informed the court that ASUU will be meeting stakeholders in the House of Representative on Sept.20 to ensure that the matter is resolved.
Earlier Mr Ebuolu Adegoruwa SAN, counsel to Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had raised the issue of joinder and consolidation of the suit, citing section 36 of the 1999 constitution to fair hearing
He submitted that the court should invoke the cited section in SERAP’s favour to be joined in the suit as a defendant and urged the court to take his application to that effect before entertaining any other application in the suit
Adegoruwa said relief 3 of their application is for stay of further proceeding for the court to determine whether or not they will be a party in the suit.
He added that the process had been served on the claimant on Thursday.
He proceeded to seek to withdraw an earlier filed process dated Monday and sought to replace it with the one served on Thursday.
Igwe in response objected to Adegoruwa’s application, stating that he was in receipt of the application he filed on Monday, that was served on them on Thursday by 5pm.
He also argued that it was the same application Adegoruwa was applying to withdraw. He added that he had not received any process dated Thursday as claimed by Adegoruwa.
Adegoruwa in response stated that there was proof of service of said application on the Attorney-general of the Federation on Thursday.
Falana said he was not objecting to Adegoruwa’s application seeking to be joined as a party in the suit and for the suit to be consolidated with the other one filed by SERAP as a claimant.
The court after listening to the submissions of counsel ruled that the application was not ripe to be taken as it was served at the Attorney- general’s office on Thursday.
The court in addition stated that the application for interlocutory injunction will be taken first on Sept. 19 by 11am.
The judge therefore adjourned the matter until Sept.19, for hearing .
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Minister of Labour and Employment on behalf of the Federal Government had filed the matter before the court by way of referral to resolve the issue of the ongoing strike by ASUU. (source: NAN). NNL.
