SERAP Requests To Be Joined In ASUU, FG Suit As Industrial Court Adjourns Case Till September 16

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer

Ad

[PHOTOS] Massive Reaction as Adamawa LG Chairmen Dispatch Wives to Turkey for Leadership Training

By Abiola Olawale Nigerians have begun to react to reports that emerged on Thursday claiming that the wives of all 21 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen in Adamawa State have landed in Istanbul, Turkey, for a week-long "leadership training" program. This comes after reports indicated that the Local government chairmen in Adamawa state reportedly sponsored…

2027: Why I’ll Protect Yourba’s Interest if Elected as President– Atiku

By Abiola Olawale A former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has vowed to place Yoruba interests at the forefront of his governance agenda if elected president in 2027. Atiku, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissed fears of ethnic domination under his potential administration, emphasizing his…

UNGA: New AfDB president, Tah, meets UN Chiefs, rallies support for new financial system

By Obinna Uballa The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, has urged development partners and world leaders to step up financing and forge stronger partnerships to help Africa achieve its development goals, a statement from the bank said on Thursday. Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing 80th United…

Ad

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has requested to be joined as an interested party in a suit filed by the Federal Government at the Industrial Court against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the industrial action embarked upon by the union about seven months ago.

The Federal Government had approached the court sitting in Abuja, requesting an order for ASUU to resume academic activities while it continues to engage the union to address their dispute.

At the beginning of proceedings on Monday, SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegnoruwa (SAN) said his client had filed a similar suit to compel the Federal Government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking lecturers.

He said SERAP’s request to join in the matter is based on the need to forestall the duplicity of outcomes concerning the industrial dispute.

However, counsel to the Federal Government, Tijjani Gazali (SAN) opposes SERAP’s application to consolidate the suits.

He told the judge that SERAP’s application was premature as the case was billed for mention on Monday.

Counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, however, argued that he was aware of the efforts by lawyers to file court papers in the suit on Monday.

The judge ruled that the suit is not ripe for consolidation by SERAP. The judge said he was only presiding over the matter as a vacation judge and that the case would be assigned to another judge for adjudication.

He ordered the parties in the suit to file and exchange court documents as he adjourned the matter to Friday, 16 September 2022.

Speaking to journalists outside the court, counsel to ASUU, Falana, berated the Federal Government for going to the court. He said the Federal Government should stop trying to blackmail ASUU, maintaining that university lecturers have not stopped working.

On his part, the counsel to the Federal Government, Tijanni Gazali, said ASUU cannot dictate to the Federal Government what platform its members are to be paid.

He said the agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU has been substantially implemented and that details of their agreement will form part of the papers they will be filing before the court.

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria has adjourned the suit filed by the Federal Government against ASUU over the industrial action embarked upon by the union about seven months ago to September 16th, 2022.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp