The Court of Appeal has ordered members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to immediately end their eight months old strike.
The decision was handed over to the striking lecturers just this afternoon.
It will be recalled that on Monday, September 26, vice chancellors were directed to cut off the ASUU strike and reopen all federal universities in Nigeria and resume classes.
The directive came from the Federal Government via the National Universities Commission (NUC) in a letter signed by Sam Onazi, the NUC’s Director of Finance and Accounts, and was addressed to vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors, and chairmen of governing councils of federal universities.
A part of the letter reads:
“Ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures; Restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) filed an appeal with the Nigerian National Industrial Court (NNIC), which ordered the striking academic lecturers to return to their classrooms.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Giwa Yisa Temitope, the group said the industrial court’s decision “betrays equity.”
The students contended that the federal government had no right to take ASUU to court.
The National Industrial Court had ordered striking lecturers to return to class after a seven-month strike.
On Wednesday, September 21, the industrial court in Abuja issued its decision, noting that national interests were at stake.
Justice Polycarp Hamman invoked section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act, which gave the court the authority to order the ASUU strike to end.
