TheCable

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has fixed September 16 for further mention in the suit filed by the federal government challenging the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

Several meetings between ASUU and the federal government have ended in a deadlock.

In a letter dated September 8 and addressed to the chief registrar of the industrial court, Ngige asked that the suit be given an accelerated hearing in order to resolve the dispute between the union and the government.

At the court session on Monday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a civil society organisation, sought to join the suit as an interested party.

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

“We filed a similar suit on 8 September, asking the court to compel the federal government to honour an agreement it willingly entered into with ASUU,” Adegboruwa said.

According to him, the joinder request, if approved, will prevent duplicity of outcomes.

However, Tijjani Gazali, counsel to the federal government, opposed the application for joinder.

He submitted that SERAP’s application was “premature” as the case was billed for mention on Monday.

Femi Falana represented ASUU.

Ruling on the application, Polycarp Hamman, the judge, agreed with the federal government that SERAP’s application was premature.

Hamman said the case would be presided over by a different judge and that he was simply serving as a vacation judge.

Thereafter, the judge ordered parties in the suit to file and exchange court documents and adjourned the case until September 16.

The federal government is asking the court “to interpret in its entirety the provisions of Section 18 LFN 2004, especially as it applies to the cessation of strike once a trade dispute is apprehended by the Minister of Labour and Employment and conciliation is ongoing,” a statement from the ministry of labour said on Sunday.”

They are also praying for “an order of the court for ASUU members to resume work in their various universities while the issues in dispute are being addressed by the NICN in consonance with the provisions of Section 18 (I) (b) of the TDA Cap T8. LFN 2004.”