September 19, (THEWILL) – The National Industrial Court on Monday, fixed Wednesday, September 21, 2022, to deliver its ruling on an application filed by the Federal Government against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), over its ongoing nationwide strike.
Justice Peter Hamman fixed the date on Monday, after the lead counsel to the Federal Government, James Igwe, argued his application, seeking an order of the court restraining ASUU from further continuing with the ongoing nationwide strike.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Federal Government had asked the court to order ASUU to suspend its strike, while it engaged the union to address the dispute.
But the court, at the previous sitting last Friday, adjourned the suit until Monday September 19, to hear the interlocutory injunction of the government.
Igwe had asked the court to give the suit an accelerated hearing due to the urgency of the matter, to enable students to return to school.
He stated 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.
But counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana (SAN), said the union was currently meeting with stakeholders to ensure that the matter was resolved and appealed to the government to cooperate with the union to resolve the issue.
Lecturers of the Federal Government owned universities had embarked on strike since February 14, 2022, to demand the release of revitalisation funds for universities; deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System (UTAS) for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers; release of earned allowances; the release of the white paper report of the visitation panels to universities and other issues involving the ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement.
The Federal Government had set up a negotiation team to look into the Union’s demand.
However, amid several failed negotiations, the Government had approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, to order ASUU to suspend its strike, while it engage the union to address the dispute.
