Posted by The Academic Staff Union of Universities, which is currently on strike, will appeal the National Industrial Court’s decision ordering its members to return to work on Friday (today), The PUNCH has learned.
This information was provided in a chat with our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday by the attorney for ASUU, Femi Falana (SAN).
Since February 14, ASUU has been on strike to force through its demands, which include more financing for institutions and a review of lecturer wages, among other things.
On Wednesday, Justice Polycarp Hamman issued a return to work order for the union’s members.
Falana, however, informed The PUNCH that “We are filing the appeal tomorrow morning (Friday).”
The judgment’s certified accurate copy was recently sent to us on Thursday.
The appeal will be submitted on Friday morning at first light.
Vice Chancellors are heard.
The conflict between the Federal Government and ASUU, according to the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, is not one that needs to go to court.
The CVCNU chairman, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo, responded to the court decision ordering ASUU to return to class by saying, “The topic is not a court issue. Since lecturing is a knowledge-based job, it is not something you should force people to do.
“Communicating effectively with one another is ideal. What will happen if you show up for class right now as a student and you don’t receive knowledge? We are pleading with FG, ASUU, and other parties involved to meet, have a conversation, and resolve the issue.
FG proclaimed war.
Ikechukwu Igwenyi, the ASUU chairman of Ebonyi State University, declared “war” against union members on Thursday in response to the court judgment.
In doing so, he emphasized how the government’s “no work, no pay” policy demonstrates how little the authorities comprehend the nature of the employment relationship that exists between lecturers and their students.
On Thursday, he remarked in Abakaliki, “The NIC ordered ASUU to cease the continuing strike and return to the classroom with empty tummies and unpaid bills pending the outcome of the litigation filed against the union by the Federal Government.
Failed IPPIS and UTAS.
Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labor and Employment, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Head of the Federal Civil Service, and Ben Akabueze, the Director-General of the Federal Budget Office have all been invited by the leadership of the House of Representatives in response to the ongoing crisis.
Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, and Ahmed Wase, deputy speaker, led relevant committee chairs to another meeting with Yemi-Esan, Nta, and other high government officials on Thursday.
The University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System, the University Transparency Accountability Solution proposed by ASUU, and the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System all failed integrity tests, the National Information Technology Development Agency informed the House leadership at the meeting.
campus reopening – CONUA.
On the basis of the Industrial Court’s decision, a different group of academic staff members in the nation’s public universities, the Congress of University Academics, has requested vice chancellors to promptly reopen all of the nation’s institutions.
This was said in a statement released on Thursday by Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the national coordinator of CONUA.