Justice Polycap Hamman adjourned the matter to enable the Nigerian Government to file the necessary papers for the suit.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) sitting in Abuja has adjourned the lawsuit between the Nigerian Government and the striking university lecturers, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) till Friday, September 16.
Justice Polycap Hamman adjourned the matter to enable the Nigerian Government to file the necessary papers for the suit.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Nigerian Government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, dragged striking university lecturers to court because talks between both parties have collapsed.
This was disclosed in a court document dated September 9, which was obtained by SaharaReporters on Sunday, titled: “Forwarding of a referral instrument in the trade dispute between federal government/federal ministry of education and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)”.
The document reads: “In view of the fact that ASUU members have been on strike since February 14, and have refused to call off the action despite apprehension of same, it would be appreciated if this dispute is given an accelerated hearing in order to bring the dispute to an end.”
The minister further argued that his letter which he tagged “Referral Instrument” was in line with powers vested on him by the trade dispute resolution mechanism and the provision of Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act. CAP. TB. Laws.
The court case came up a few days after the Nigerian government announced salary increment for university teachers, and promised that N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 budget as funds for the revitalisation of federal universities, which is to be disbursed to the Institutions in the First Quarter of the year.”
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who made the announcement during a meeting with Pro-Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities last Tuesday, said the government would not sign any other agreement it cannot implement.
Adamu said President Muhammadu Buhari had warned the government’s team involved in the negotiation with ASUU against signing an agreement that the government would not be able to fulfil.
But the minister’s announcement regarding the salary increment did not go down well with the varsity lecturers as they rejected it.
In a recent interview, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, asked the government to keep its pay rise, insisting that the government must sign what they agreed on during their collective bargain.
However, Ngige, in an official letter addressed to the Chief Registrar of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, and dated September 8, asked the court to give an accelerated hearing to the case to bring the strike to an end.