Posted by The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given an explanation of why it decided to call off its eight-month strike early on Friday.
In an urgent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting conducted at its National Secretariat at the University of Abuja in Abuja, the union had made the choice.
The discussion, which lasted more than six hours, included the Appeal Court’s ruling, the Federal Government’s proposals, and Femi Gbajabiamila’s role as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to the union, the strike was put on hold in accordance with a court decision, with consideration for President Muhammadu Buhari’s appeals, and in appreciation of the efforts of Gbajabiamila and other well-meaning Nigerians.
The union gave its members the go-ahead to restart all previously withdrawn services as of Friday, October 14, 2022.
However, the union expressed dissatisfaction that the government had not adequately addressed all of the points of contention in a statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting and signed by Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU.
“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) conducted an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, October 13, 2022,” the statement adds.
The meeting went over recent events following the union’s 29 August 2022 declaration of an ongoing strike.
“During the interim, the Minister of Labour and Employment, through a referral, approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) for the interpretation of “the provision of sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 18 (1) of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap T8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whether the on-going prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which started on February 14, 2022, is legal even after statutory apprehension by the Minister of Labour and Employment.
In addition, he requested a preliminary injunction to stop the strike from going on any longer.
“The National Industrial Court, in its wisdom, issued an injunction requiring ASUU to resume work while the substantive suit is being adjudicated.
The interlocutory injunction issued against our Union at the Court of Appeal had to be appealed due to the nature of the ruling and in our counsel’s opinion.
The Court of Appeal accepted the legitimacy of the Union’s appeal’s grounds, but maintained the lower court’s decision nonetheless and required our Union to abide by its decision as a prerequisite to the appeal being heard.
“NEC acknowledged the series of meetings with the House of Representatives leadership presided over by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as other well-meaning Nigerians’ efforts to intervene both inside and outside of government, as well as the progress accomplished thus far.
In accordance with the FGN/Memorandum ASUU’s of Action (MoA) of 2020, the NEC thought carefully about the suggestions made by the committee, which was chaired by the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, regarding the competing issues that prompted the strike action.
For the avoidance of doubt, the problems include: Earned Academic Allowances, the proliferation of public universities, Visitation Panels/Release of White Papers, and University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a comprehensive piece of software designed to combat crime and offer a different method of payment within the university system. The 2009 Agreement is being renegotiated.
“While lauding the sterling efforts of the House of Representatives leadership and other patriotic Nigerians who got involved in the subject, NEC regretted that the matters in contention have not yet been adequately resolved.
But in deference to the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces’ requests, and as a law-abiding Union. In honor of the efforts made by Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other well-meaning Nigerians, as well as His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, the ASUU NEC decided to halt the strike action that was started on February 14, 2022.
As a result, all ASUU members are hereby instructed to resume all previously withdrawn services as of Friday, October 14, 12:01 AM.