The Federal Government has threatened to sue the striking lecturers, who are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities if they fail to resume as ruled by the National Industrial Court.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who issued this threat on Friday during an interview monitored on Channel TV, disclosed that he had directed labour controllers to monitor compliance at all tertiary institutions across the states.

He said, “The court says ASUU must obey today (Friday). I have asked labour controllers in the 36 states and the zones to reach out to the universities; number one, to see if the vice chancellors have opened the gates because that is one of the imports of the judgment of the Industrial Court.

“You must open the gates, you must open the class rooms and to see whether those workers, those teachers reported today, tomorrow Friday and Saturday. My labour controllers will write me a report.

“The Education Ministry through the NUC will also do their bit and we will compare it. By Tuesday, if they have complied with this, first, they will have the right to appeal as the court says.

“If they come back to their classroom, they will have time to attach evidence and do their appeal. My labour controllers will also give me things to support education in the country. If they don’t, go and read that portion of the NICN Act, they will be charged for contempt,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ASUU has said it will study the ruling of the appeal court which ordered its members to return back to work.

The union’s national president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke reacted on behalf of the union.

Saturday PUNCH reports that the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off its strike.

The court gave the order after dismissing the union’s application for a stay of execution of an earlier ruling of the National Industrial Court directing the university lecturers to resume work.

The three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Hamma Barka granted the union permission to appeal the ruling of the industrial court but ruled that it must first resume work to be allowed to file the appeal.

It said should ASUU fail to re-open the universities, the permission it gave the union to appeal against the interlocutory injunction of the National Industrial Court “will be automatically vacated.”

It gave the university lecturers’ union seven days within which to file its notice of appeal against the order of the National Industrial Court.

“I am inclined to grant the application to appeal the decision of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. But the order of the lower court shall be immediately obeyed,” the court held in its unanimous ruling.

But reacting to the court order, Osodeke said, “We will review the judgment with our lawyer and we will decide on the next step.”

The National Industrial Court had on 21 September 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 pending the determination of the suit filed against ASUU by the federal government.

Displeased by the ruling, the union headed to the appeal court to appeal the ruling.

It also filed a stay of execution of the ruling of the industrial court.

But the Court of Appeal ordered the striking lecturers to “immediately” call off the eight-month strike, having struck out ASUU’s application for a stay of execution of the lower court’s order.

It said it was within ASUU’s right to appeal the decision of the industrial court.

Agreeing with the Federal Government’s argument that ASUU cannot approach the appellate court with “dirty hands”, the panel held, “should the applicant fail to obey the order (of the lower court), the leave granted shall be automatically vacated.”

Youngwiz71:
No need for threat, they have been cornered already

Ebubu:
they will simply be proscribed. you think you can be anti-government

MEGA4BILLION:
Who said he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.

ASUU will call off the strike only to embark on another one after few weeks

itsRhamzy:
I used to support ASUU but it seems ASUUs selfishness have driven them to their Waterloo this time around.
I support this move by Ngige and the FG should be prepared to replace any mumu lecturer found wanting or not discharging their duties well.

What exactly is their problem? Went in strike for 9 months in 2020 and they still got paid for those months. Went on strike again 2022 for over 8 months and counting and they still want to be paid 8 months salaries as usual but I'm happy FG is calling their bluff to deal with them. No union is allowed to be a pain in the as$ of the people and government anywhere in the world.

The students have lost 8 months of their lives for ASUUs agitations, they also lost 8 months out of the rents they've paid in their respective campuses, that's enough sacrifice anyone could make yet ASUU doesn't want to sacrifice anything not even their salaries and instead, they're here threatening they won't lecture and using students as blackmail cos they won't be receiving the free 8 months salaries they looked forward to. FG should be prepared to fire any lecturer that as much as not carry out his/her duties well. Nonsense.

System202:
This Ngige_buhari has created more problem to the university system than finding solutions they have already killed education now in nigeria, those uchins up their supporting directionless government bcs of one malu's ambition don't know what is coming for them. to Buhari u can force a horse to river but u can't force it drink water.

itsRhamzy:
No one is begging you to work by force. If you're not happy working with the FG, resign and go look for work elsewhere. Don't come here and complicate students lives by making them spend extra years in school for your own sake. Our universities must open right now with or without any striking lecturers. Nonsense.

IamDietiesGod:
"Knowing when to leave may be the smartest thing anyone can learn" Burt Bacharach

"A wise man is he who knows when and how to stop" Victor Hugo

This should have been ASSU some month ago, most especially after NIC verdict,


But ASSU and their gragra, even with their supposed intellects and wisdom fail to acknowledged;

"A wise man don't need advice. Fool won't take it" Benjamin Franklin.

Moreover, Ngige does not need this charade. After all, both him (FG) and ASSU are bird of a feather. Mad people.

System202:
This Ngige_buhari has created more problem to the university system than finding solutions they have already killed education now in nigeria, those uchins up their supporting directionless government bcs of one malu's ambition don't know what is coming for them. to Buhari u can force a horse to river but u can't force it drink water.

itsRhamzy:


The students have lost 8 months of their lives for ASUUs agitations, they also lost 8 months out of the rents they've paid in their respective campuses, that's enough sacrifice anyone could make yet ASUU doesn't want to sacrifice anything not even their salaries and instead, they're here threatening they won't lecture and using students as blackmail cos they won't be receiving the free 8 months salaries they looked forward to. FG should be prepared to fire any lecturer that as much as not carry out his/her duties well. Nonsense.

seunlayi:


Well said. I have 2 rents wasted for my children still in University to renew by December, who will compensate me? No work no pay must be effected.

seunlayi:
can you tell this to your boss?
ASUU don bite Wetin pass am. This striking pattern for demands must STOP. lol, they may not even receive their salaries sef

itsRhamzy:
No one is begging you to work by force. If you're not happy working with the FG, resign and go look for work elsewhere. Don't come here and complicate students lives by making them spend extra years in school for your own sake. Our universities must open right now with or without any striking lecturers. Nonsense.

itsRhamzy:
I used to support ASUU but it seems ASUUs selfishness have driven them to their Waterloo this time around.
I support this move by Ngige and the FG should be prepared to replace any mumu lecturer found wanting or not discharging their duties well.

What exactly is their problem? Went in strike for 9 months in 2020 and they still got paid for those months. Went on strike again 2022 for over 8 months and counting and they still want to be paid 8 months salaries as usual but I'm happy FG is calling their bluff to deal with them. No union is allowed to be a pain in the as$ of the people and government anywhere in the world.

The students have lost 8 months of their lives for ASUUs agitations, they also lost 8 months out of the rents they've paid in their respective campuses, that's enough sacrifice anyone could make yet ASUU doesn't want to sacrifice anything not even their salaries and instead, they're here threatening they won't lecture and using students as blackmail cos they won't be receiving the free 8 months salaries they looked forward to. FG should be prepared to fire any lecturer that as much as not carry out his/her duties well. Nonsense.

System202:


If they did not receive their salaries its students that will be at the receiving end

seunlayi:


Well said. I have 2 rents wasted for my children still in University to renew by December, who will compensate me? No work no pay must be effected.

Watch Out!

One Budaatum Will Attack you now...

Meanwhile my own rent is EXPIRING this Month (Will ASUU Renew my Rent) ...
I should be GRADUATING by December (God's Grace), But the Useless Board of Quack Professors won't Allow the Students

System202:


The government are elected to improve standards of living, education and so on for citizens, and this Buhari government failed in all that, if it were in sane countries he would have resigned or impeached but bcs its in nigeria uchins are even supporting him

System202:


The government are elected to improve standards of living, education and so on for citizens, and this Buhari government failed in all that, if it were in sane countries he would have resigned or impeached but bcs its in nigeria uchins are even supporting him

System202:


If they did not receive their salaries its students that will be at the receiving end

System202:


The government are elected to improve standards of living, education and so on for citizens, and this Buhari government failed in all that, if it were in sane countries he would have resigned or impeached but bcs its in nigeria uchins are even supporting him