Public university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have been on strike for seven months.
A factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Umar Lawal of the Department of Library and Information Science of the Bayero University, Kano has sued some ministers and striking university lecturers over the industrial action.
Public university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have been on strike for seven months.
According to documents filed before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja, which were obtained by SaharaReporters, the court has summoned ASUU executives, Attorney General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Minister of Education, Professor Adamu Adamu to appear within 14 days of the receipt of the service.
The document reads, “To Academic Staff Union of University, University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Minister of Education of Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Secretariat Complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Central Business District, FCT, Abuja; Attorney General of the Federation of Federal Ministry of Justice, Shehu Shagari Way, Central Area, Abuja, Nigeria.
“You are hereby commanded that within fourteen days after service of this complaint on you, inclusive of the day of such service, you do cause an appearance to be entered for you in an action at the suit of Umar Faruk Lawal (President, National Association of Nigerian Students) of Department of Library Science, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.”
SaharaReporters reported on Monday that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja adjourned the lawsuit between the Nigerian Government and the striking university lecturers.
Justice Polycap Hamman adjourned the matter to enable the government to file the necessary papers for the suit.
It was learnt that the Nigerian Government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, sued the striking university lecturers because talks between both parties 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 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, announced during a meeting with Pro-Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities last Tuesday, that 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.
