Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has faulted the Federal Government’s suit at the National Industrial Court, Abuja against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ,saying the development was a continuation of the antics to arm-twist the union and possibly lay the legal basis to attack ASUU and its members.
It also condemns the Buhari-led government’s neglect of public education and refusal to meet ASUU’s demand,adding that allowing public universities to close down for 7 months clearly shows the anti-people character of the Buhari-led government..
The group conveyed its position in a joint statement signed by its national chairman,Comrade Rufus Olusesan,and national publicity secretary,Comrade Chinedu Bosah,made available to Premium News.
It said:’At this stage, the solidarity of the trade union movement (Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress) is most needed. We call on the leadership of NLC and the TUC as a matter of urgency to begin the mobilization for a 48-hour warning general strike backed with mass actions to demand government meet the demands of ASUU and other unions and protest the under-funding of public education and healthcare, rising cost of living, hike in fuel prices, hike in electricity tariff etc. With this, the government can be forced to meet the demands of the striking university workers, increase funding for public education and retreat from other anti-poor policies’’
Meanwhile,Justice P.I Hamman, of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), on Monday, adjourned the suit instituted by the Federal Government against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to September 16, 2022.
When the case came up for mention on Monday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), brought an application seeking to be joined in the legal action as an interested party.
Counsel for SERAP, Ebun-Olu Adegnoruwa, told Justice Hamman that his client had filed similar suit, praying the court to compel the Federal Government to honour its 2009 agreement with members of ASUU.
“We filed a similar suit on September 8, asking the court to compel the Federal Government to honour an agreement it willingly entered into with ASUU, Adegboruwa submitted’’
SERAP’s joinder application, Adegboruwa said, was to forestall duplicity of judicial pronouncements concerning the industrial dispute.
Reacting, the Federal Government’s lawyer, Tijjani Gazali SAN, opposed SERAP’s application to consolidate the suits.
He contended that SERAP’s application was “premature” as the case was slated for mention on Monday.
On his part, Femi Falana SAN, who represented ASUU, said he was aware of efforts by the lawyers to file court papers in the suit on Monday.
In a short ruling on the SERAP’s joinder application, Justice Hamman agreed with the Federal Government that the suit was not ripe for consolidation.
The court said it was only sitting as a vacation court, stressing that the case would be assigned to another judge for adjudication.