The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it is set to appeal the order by the National Industrial Court (NIC) directing the suspension of its seven months old strike.
In a terse statement sent to members of the union on
Wednesday by the Chairman of Lagos Zone of ASUU, Adelaja Odukoya, the union
urged its members to “remain calm.”
The union, in the statement said its lawyer is already
filing an appeal.
Renowned human rights activist, Femi Falana, a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is the counsel to ASUU.
The statement by ASUU is titled; “NIC Back to Work Order on
ASUU: Be Calm.” It urged members and Nigerians to remain united, even as it suggested
that the order would be vacated.
The statement reads in part; “Our Comrade President, Comrade
Victor Osodeke, has urged members of our Great Union to remain calm as there is
no cause for alarm on the back to work order delivered earlier today.
“Our lawyer is filing an appeal and stay of execution of the
judgment. Members should remain resolute and strong. A people united can never
be defeated. Solidarity without compromise.”
Meanwhile, the leadership of the National Association of
Nigerian Students and the National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign
(ERC), Hassan Soweto, have reacted to the industrial court order.
Mr Soweto described the court verdict as unfair and
shameful, saying it is a confirmation of his belief that “the judiciary is simply
an arm of the apparatus of the capitalist state, just as the police and the
army.”
He called on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to declare a 48-hour nationwide
warning strike in reaction to the court order.
He said the Nigerian court’s role “is to defend the interest
of the corrupt ruling elite who are busy stealing the money required to fund
public education.”
He said; “At this stage, all we can say is that our
solidarity with ASUU on its resolve to fight for adequate funding of public
universities remains unshakeble despite this court order.
“We urge the NLC and TUC not to allow the government use the
court to frustrate the legitimate struggle of ASUU. We call on the labour
movement to respond to this unfair court order by escalating action into a 48
hour warning general strike and mass protest.”
NANS to obstruct political campaigns
Also, the leadership of NANS has said except the government
accedes to the demands of the striking lecturers, it would continue to mobilise
its members nationwide to obstruct free flow of traffic in major Nigerian
cities.
The union said it would also disrupt political rallies if
the schools are not reopened before 28 September when political campaigns ahead
of 2023 general elections are expected to commence.
Addressing journalists in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on
Wednesday, the Chairman of NANS National Taskforce on #EndASUUStrikeNow,
Raymond Ojo, said the students are more united now to defend their common
interest.
The protesting students had on Monday grounded movement
along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport road in Lagos, subjecting many
commuters to what they described as torture.
Mr Ojo said the students would unleash their “anger and
frustration” on the Nigerian government until public universities are reopened.
He said; “NANS will continue to ground all the nation’s
public assets from roads to airports, including Nigeria Ports Authority if the
Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal
Ministry of Labour and Employment fail to resolve with the leadership of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in no distant time.
“Our blocking of access to public roads and ports is just a
warning. If the government fails to conclude all the negotiation and agreement
with ASUU within the frame of two weeks, they will witness more protests and
rallies all over the country.
“They will also witness the annoyance, anger and frustration
of Nigerian Students who have been at home for the past seven months. As we
promise them that we will not allow any political campaign to hold across the
country until we are back to class.
“This government has pushed so many Nigerians Students into
depression. We say enough is enough; we can no longer bear the brunt from this
avoidable crisis in our nation’s public ivory towers again.”
Mr Ojo also called on Nigerians to join them in their
struggle to “rescue tertiary education from further collapse.”
“Either court rules in favour or against ASUU, the students
will not relent in our resolve to disrupt government and public organisations
including campaigns if our lecturers are not back to classrooms,” he added.
Backstory
ASUU is requesting the replacement of the Integrated Payroll
and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as salary payment platform with the
University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) which its members
developed.
ASUU said rather than ensuring accountability, IPPIS has
enabled fraud in the system and that it failed to accommodate the peculiarities
of the university system.
The union is also requesting the release of revitilisation
fund for the universities as contained in the earlier agreements signed with
the government, and the release of its members earned academic allowance, among
others.
But on Wednesday, the National Industrial Court ordered the
union to suspend the industrial action pending the determination of the matter
referred to it by the Nigerian government through its Minister of Labour and
Employment, Chris Ngige.
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