Asuu plans to appeal yesterday's court judgement ordering lecturers to return to work

HOPES that the seven month-long Academic Staff Union of Universities (Asuu) strike would end after Nigeria's National Industrial Court ordered lecturers to return to work yesterday have been dashed as the union plans to appeal the judgement.

Since February, most tertiary institutions across Nigeria have been closed as a result of a strike by lecturer's union Asuu. Due to an inability of the government and the union to reach an agreement on her pay and conditions of academics, institutions have remained shut and exasperated with the situation, the National Association of Nigerian Students was planning nationwide action.

Yesterday, there appeared to be a breakthrough in the impasse as the National Industrial Court ruled in favour of  a motion filed by the federal government, ordering the lecturers to resume work immediately. Justice Polycap Hamman invoked Section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act and national interest of the Nigerian students to grant the federal government's request  for an order of injunction against the lecturers, compelling them to return to work.

Labour and employment minister Dr Chris Ngige, said that the Committee of Vice Chancellors would be asked to re-open the universities for teaching and learning. A delighted Dr Ngige added that the judgment was a case of no-victor, no-vanquished, stressing that the ruling does not preclude further negotiations between the federal government and Asuu.

Dr Ngige said: “The ruling is in the best interest of the nation. It is a win-win situation for all of us- government, students, lecturers - all Nigerians indeed.  The court ruling does not preclude us from going on with further negotiation and consultations.

"The pro-chancellors met Mr President and made some demands, such as topping up the government offer and seeing whether there could be some bailout. Mr President said in considering it, he will consult stakeholders, so, he is going to consult everybody.”

However Dr Emmanuel Osodeke, the Asuu president, said: “Let me tell you the catastrophe of what has just happened. The last time this happened was during the military era.

“I can assure you, when this strike is over, a large number of our lecturers are going to migrate from this country. When you are using force to push your lecturers to class.

“First of all, they said if we owe them, if we don’t pay them, they will come and beg us. Seven months, however and it didn’t work. Our members are still alive. And then, they went to court, you want to force them. It is a catastrophe.”

While Asuu heads for the Federal Court of Appeal there are indications that the government is ready to use the court order and enforce the reopening of universities. Dr Kasim Umar, the chairman of the University of Abuja chapter of Asuu, said the union's national executive council will meet today to conclude modalities on the appeal process.

Meanwhile, Professor Ahmed Modibbo  the pro-chancellor of the University of Abuja, has advised the federal government to apply caution in handling the crisis with the union. He added that court order cannot resolve the lingering crisis between Asuu and the government.

Professor Modibbo appealed to both the government and Asuu to embrace dialogue in order to find a lasting solution to the strike, insisting that resorting to force was not a solution. He stressed that dialogue remains the best means to resolve the crisis rather than just giving a fiat order.