The attorneys representing the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities testified before the Court of Appeal on Thursday that despite the Appellate Court’s recommendation of an out-of-court settlement, neither party was able to end the eight-month strike.
The FG’s lawyer, James Igwe, and lead counsel for ASUU, Femi Falana (SAN), told the Court of Appeal that despite the admonition, they could not resolve the dispute.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamma Barka, thereafter, stepped down the matter for an hour to enable the counsel for ASUU, Falana, to file a reply to the counter affidavit deposed to by the FG in opposition to the hearing of the appeal.
At the resumption of the hearing, Falana said they had begun consultations which would continue at the end of the day’s proceedings. He suggested that their application challenging the ruling of the Industrial Court be heard by the three-man panel of the Appeal Court.
Both parties agreed that the court should hear the application, as there was no amicable resolution reached as advised by the court.
Also, ASUU is set to sue the Federal Government over the registration of the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics.
The Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige had on Tuesday presented certificates of registration to CONUA and NAMDA.
Ngige, who spoke while presenting the certificate of registration to the two unions explained that the two bodies will exist along aside ASUU.
ASUU has been on strike since February 14, 2022 as lecturers of public universities protest unpaid allowances and demand better welfare package from the Federal Government.
Speaking with Channels Television, the lead counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, SAN noted that the union would sue the Federal Government over the registration of the two unions.
“ASUU is going to court. It is going to be the NIC,” ASUU’s lawyer, Femi Falana, told Channels Television on Thursday.
Confirming the development to our correspondent, ASUU’s president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke said,”He is our lawyer, we follow his legal advises.”
