Kamsiyochukwu Mbamalu, PBA Journalism MenteeBy Kamsiyochukwu Mbamalu, Journalism Mentee
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has just confirmed that it would appear in defence of itself at the Abuja Industrial Court today in a suit filed against it by the Federal Government over the ongoing strike that has shut down public universities for more than six months.
In a telephone conversation with Prime Business Africa on Monday morning, ASUU President Professor Emmanuel Osodeke confirmed that the university teachers body was duly served the court papers and would appear in court today, Monday, September 12, 2022.
The Federal Government led by the Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige and his Education counterpart Adamu Adamu are championing the federal government team as plaintiffs in a suit the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration filed on September 9, 2022.
READ ALSO: FACT-CHECK: 46 Law Professors, 22 SANs Volunteer For ASUU At Industrial Court?
ASUU has been on strike for over six months after it embarked on a week-long warning strike to force the government to honour the 2009 renegotiated agreement reached by both parties. The warning strike, however, evolved into a full blown industrial action after both parties failed to agree. The university teachers’ body a few weeks ago declared the strike ‘indefinite’ after it said that the federal government was not sincere with the negotiations.
READ ALSO: EDITORIAL: We Stand With ASUU, 200 Days After
Explaining why the federal government is dragging ASUU to Industrial Court, Ngige had said that the over six-month-old industrial action was never going to end without the move, especially as Professor Emmanuel Osodeke-led ASUU was aware of the negative impact of the prolonged strike on the polity and yet insisted on sustaining the action.
There were unconfirmed claims in social media that 46 professors of Law and 22 Senior advocates had volunteered to represent ASUU in her case with the Federal Government, a report which Prof Osodeke, in his telephone conversation with Prime Business Africa, said was untrue.
Professor Osodeke, however, declined comments on the identity of ASUU’s counsel in today’s court hearing. ”That’s our local matter,” he said in response to PBA’s query in that regard.
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