Benue State Final Year Student Drags Buhari, 36 Governors to Court Over FG's Poor Handling of ASUU Strike

• A final year student of Benue State University identified as Soohemba Agatha Aker has sued Buhari and the 36 governors to court over the ongoing ASUU strike
• The erstwhile Students' Union president claims that the federal government has not been handling their dispute with ASUU well
• Agatha is praying the court to stop the salaries and allowances of the president, 36 state governors and all other political office holders

Soohemba Agatha Aker, a final year student of Benue State University, has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari and the 36 state governors to court for the federal government's poor handling of the ASUU strike.

The federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have failed to reach a concrete agreement since the industrial action began 7 months ago.

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Agatha's prayer to the court

In the fundamental right enforcement suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1684/2022, Vanguard reports that the former Benue varsity SUG president is requiring the court to put a stop to the payment of Buhari's salaries and allowances until a final resolution is reached between FG and ASUU.

The law student is also asking the court to stop paying the salaries and allowances of the 36 state governors and all political office holders in the country until the strike is resolved.

She is also seeking a similar order against the Chief of Staff to the President, the Secretary to the government, all the Senators and the members of the House of Representatives, all the Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, heads of parastatals and extra ministerial bodies of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all the Vice Chancellors and the members of Senate of striking Universities, as well as the salaries and allowances of striking universities and all the ASUU members.

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Concerns as ASUU vows to appeal court decision, raises concerns about lecturers leaving Nigeria

In the suit filed by her counsel, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), the applicant who stated that she is currently affected by the strike listed the Federal Government of Nigeria, Registered Trustees of ASUU, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor of Abia State as respondents of the case.

She said she is doing this on behalf of all students of public tertiary institutions that have been affected by the strike.

ASUU vows to appeal the court's decision that ordered that back to the classrooms

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that ASUU had vowed to appeal the court's decision that ordered ASUU to call off its strike.

The national chairman of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the decision of the industrial court is not final and that the academics are consulting with their lawyers to decide on the next action to appeal the judgement.

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No retreat, no surrender: ASUU rules out returning to classes through court order

A legal practitioner, Ismail Balogun, while speaking with Legit.ng stated that the ruling effectively required ASUU to resume classrooms immediately. Balogun also posited that though ASUU has the right to appeal, but the success of ASUU’s appeal cannot be ascertained due to the peculiarity of litigation in Nigeria.

ASUU Osodeke described the court's decision as a catastrophe when he was featured on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Wednesday, September 21. ASUU maintained that the judgement did not address why the union went on strike while raising concerns about the students who have been at home for over two years.

Osodeke then raised concerns that many lecturers will leave the country with the court decision that neglected the union's concern.

Source: Legit.ng