After Calling Off Strike, Says Issues Not Satisfactorily Addressed – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its eight-month-old strike with effect from 12:01am on Friday, October 14, 2022, however, saying that issues at stake have not been addressed satisfactorily.

The decision was taken at the emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Union, which was held late Thursday until Friday morning in Abuja.

ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who announced the suspension of the protracted strike in a statement issued on Friday, however, lamented that the issues in dispute were yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

ASUU had embarked on the rollover strike on February 14, 2022 over failure of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the union.

Recall that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, after what he described as “failed negotiations”, dragged the striking lecturers to the National Industrial Court.

The National Industrial Court on
September 21, 2012 ordered ASUU to call off the strike. The court granted the motion on notice filed by the Federal Government directing the lecturers to return to classrooms.

Ruling on the interlocutory injunction, the trial judge, Polycarp Hamman, restrained ASUU from continuing with the industrial action.

However, ASUU through its lead counsel, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, appealed the case at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division. The Appellate court on October 7 ordered the Union to go back to the classroom within seven days for its appeal to be entertained.

The statement Osodeke personally signed reads: “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, 13th October, 2022. The meeting reviewed developments since the Union declared an indefinite strike action on 29th August, 2022.

“During the intervening period, 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 Federation of Nigeria, whether the on-going prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities which started since 14th February, 2022 is legal even after statutory apprehension by the Minister of Labour and Employment?”

“In addition, he asked for an interlocutory order against the continuation of the strike.

“The National Industrial Court in its wisdom gave an order compelling ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the substantive suit.

“Given the nature of the order, and in the opinion of our counsel, there was the need to appeal the interlocutory injunction granted against our Union at the Court of Appeal.

“The Court of Appeal acknowledged the validity of the grounds of the Union’s appeal but still upheld the order of the lower court and ordered our Union to comply with the ruling of the lower court as condition precedent for the appeal to be heard.

“NEC noted the series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as intervention efforts of other well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside government and the progress made so far.

“NEC deliberated on the recommendations of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led Committee within the framework of the FGN/ASUU’s Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 2020 on the contending issues that led to the strike action.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the issues include: Funding for Revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, Proliferation of public Universities, Visitation Panels/Release of White Papers, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a broad spectrum software to stop illegality and provide for an alternative payment platform in the university system. Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement

“While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

“However, as a law-abiding Union and in deference to appeals by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and in recognition of the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other well meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on 14th February 2022.

“Consequently, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, 14th October, 2022,” he stated.