Following the ruling by the Appeal Court, ordering the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to suspend its 8-month-old strike with immediate effect, the union would be meeting on Sunday (today).
Recall that the Appeal Court on Friday ordered the striking lecturers to obey the earlier judgement by the National Industrial Court which ruled that the union must suspend its prolonged industrial action while negotiations continue.
DAILY POST recalls that ASUU on February 14, this year, shut down public universities across the country while demanding for the full implementation of earlier agreements between it and the Federal Government.
But following fruitless efforts by the government and other stakeholders to reach a truce with the aggrieved lecturers, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, on September 11, dragged ASUU to the National Industrial Court.
The court, on September 24, ordered the union to return to classroom while negotiation with the Federal Government continues.
But miffed by the ruling, ASUU headed to the appellate court to appeal the ruling.
However, the Appeal Court, while delivering a judgement on Friday, ruled that the union must obey the ruling of the lower court and call off the strike immediately pending the determination of the substantive suit.
ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, told DAILY POST on Friday while reacting to the ruling that the union would review the Appeal Court’s order before it would decide on the next line of action.
He said, “We have not received the ruling, when we get it, we will review it with our lawyer and then we can take the next step”.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had while reacting to the development on Friday, said labour controllers across the States of the federation are monitoring schools to ensure compliance with the ruling of the Court of Appeal.
Credit: dailypost.ng