Universities Strike: Court adjourns suit for hearing

Salihu Ali, Abuja 

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The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has fixed 16th of September to hear the suit filed by the Nigerian Government challenging the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

At Monday’s proceedings, counsel for the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Ebun-Olu Adegnoruwa sought to join the suit as an interested party that his client had a similar suit asking the court to compel the federal government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking varsity lecturers .

SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegnoruwa, said his client had filed a similar suit asking the court to compel the federal government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking varsity lecturers.

He said: “We filed a similar suit on 8 September, asking the court to compel the Nigerian Government to honour an agreement it willingly entered into with ASUU.”

The SERAP Counsel based joinder request on the need to forestall duplicity of outcomes concerning the industrial dispute.

But the counsel to Nigerian Government Tijjani Gazali a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), opposed the move saying SERAP’s application was premature.

Counsel for ASUU, Femi Falana on his part appreciated the efforts by the lawyers in the suit.

Justice Peter Hamman in his ruling held that SERAP’s joinder application was not ripe for hearing.

Justice Peter Hamman after listening to arguments from both Counsels adjourned the suit to 16 September for further mention saying he was only presiding as a vacation judge that the case would be assigned to another judge for adjudication.

The matter, which was instituted by Labour and Employment Minister, Chris Ngige and the federal government is asking for an order directing the striking university teachers to resume work in line with the provisions of Section 18 subsection 1b of the Trade Disputes Act. 2004 that the strike was already jeopardising the national education system.

 

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