The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) has faulted the ruling of the National Industrial Court ordering the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off their ongoing strike and resume work.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the National Industrial Court on Wednesday ordered the striking university lecturers to end their seven-month-old industrial action and return to work.
The Nigerian government had filed a suit before the industrial court against ASUU, and in a judgment on the Nigerian government's interlocutory injunction, Justice Polycarp Hamman stopped ASUU from continuing with the strike until the case was resolved.
SaharaReporters further reported that Justice Polycap, who was on vacation, issued an order directing the Court President to reassign the case to a different judge.
Reacting to the court order, Sowore questioned the rationality behind the order asking ASUU to go back to work on an empty stomach, as the government had insisted on a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy.
The human rights activist on his Twitter page wrote, “How could a judge order ASUU to go back to work on empty stomach?
Also, Sowore asked the Nigerian government to end the ASUU strike now by honouring its agreement with the university lecturers’ union.
While ASUU has vowed never to call off the strike until the government meets all its demands, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has vowed to ground all political activities across the country until they return to class.
The students have been protesting on major highways and airports as their threat to ground commercial activities in the country intensifies.
NANS has also vowed to ground activities at major seaports in Lagos and other parts of the country.