•CONUA urges association to obey industrial court order
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Federal Government, yesterday, opposed an attempt by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to move a motion before the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, for a stay of execution of the ruling of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), ordering members of the union to return to work.
At the end of proceedings, the court fixed October 6 for hearing in a motion filed by ASUU for stay of execution of the judgment, which ordered the striking lecturers to resume work pending the resolution of their dispute with the federal government.
But the newly registered Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), has appealed to ASUU to obey the order of NICN, asking its members to go back to work.
A statement issued by the media unit of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, narrated that at yesterday’s proceedings, Femi Falana, SAN, had sought to move the motion but the federal government’s lawyer, James U. K. Igwe, objected on the ground that he had not been served with the motion dated September 28, 2022.
It said the record of the court, however, revealed that the motion was served on the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
According to the ministry, Igwe sought a short adjournment to enable him respond to the motion and the presiding justice, Barka Hamma Akawu, subsequently fixed Thursday, October 6 for hearing of the motion.
However, it said the court challenged the federal government and ASUU to resolve their dispute amicably out of court.
“The three-man Appellate Court panel, presided over by Justice Barka Hamma Akawu suggested 24 hours for the two parties to have a rethink, sit down and come out with resolution that would make Nigerians happy.
“Specifically, one of the justices, Justice Biobele Georgewill, tasked counsel to the federal government, Mr James Igwe SAN and that of ASUU, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, to first sit down as lawyers, take patriotic position and convey the position to their clients.
The judge said, “There is time for everything, time for war and time for peace. As ministers in the temple of justice, we want to see the two of you as Senior Lawyers to encourage and explore amicable settlement of this dispute.”
Also, the Chairman of CONUA, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria chapter, Abdulahi Isiaku, while speaking with journalists at the premises of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, said although their members did not join the strike, they were locked out of the system because their sister union embarked on strike.
The union leader regretted that they were not being paid salaries because of the understanding that ASUU represented all academic staff.
He restated that CONUA does not subscribe to the method adopted by ASUU in tackling the problems bedeviling the university system in Nigeria, adding that incessant strikes could be counterproductive and detrimental to the development of university education in the country.
“We are monitoring the case in court and we are interested in its outcome. But as you know, we are not members of ASUU and we have not been on strike all this while. Our members were working in the universities, when suddenly the other union declared strike and then, management closed down universities.
“Since that time, our members have not been on strike. We are appealing to our sister union, ASUU, to consider the Nigerian students and the development of education in Nigeria and obey the ruling of the Industrial Court that says that lecturers should come back to work and that universities should be reopened,” he said.
