BREAKING: Court Orders ASUU to End Strike, Gives Strong Reason
- The striking universities' lecturers, ASUU, have been directed by the national industrial court to return to classrooms after seven months of lecture boycott
- The industrial court sitting in Abuja gave the verdict on Wednesday, September 21, noting that national interest is at stake
- Justice Polycarp Hamman invoked section 18 of the trade dispute act, which empowered the court to order an end to the strike when national interest is at stake
FCT, Abuja - A National Industrial Court in Abuja has ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end its ongoing nationwide strike, which began on February 14.
According to The Nation, Justice Polycarp Hamman, in a ruling on Wednesday, September 21, said he was invoking Section 18 of Trade Dispute Act, which allows the court to order an end to strike when national interest is at stake.
Source: Facebook
Justice Hamman held that it was necessary to end the strike because the students have a right to education.
Why did FG take ASUU to court?
Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, has dragged the union to the industrial court by way of referral to resolve the ongoing strike by the union on behalf of the federal government,
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In his submission, counsel to the federal government, J.U.K Igwe, informed the court that the injunction application was dated September 12 and filed the same day.
Igwe concluded his argument by citing the provision of section 18 (1)(e) of the Trade Dispute Act 2004, which stated that a worker should not go on strike when the matter is already before the court.
What is FG's argument against ASUU in court?
He then urged the court to grant his permission.
He concluded by saying that going by the provision of section 18 (1) (e) of the Trade Disputes Act 2004, a worker should not embark on strike when a matter is already before the court and urged the court to grant the injunction.
Counsel to the defendant, Femi Falana, stated that he had a 9-paragraph counter affidavit before the court on September 16 deposed by the president of ASUU.
Full list of state-owned universities that do not join ASUU strike
Legit.ng earlier reported that some state-owned universities have not joined the ASUU strike as the industrial actions of the academics enter the 204th day.
States whose universities did not join the industrial action included Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Anambra.
The federal government has also vowed, on Monday, September 5, to deploy all strategies to end strikes in the country's tertiary institutions.
Source: Legit.ng
