The National Industrial Court’s earlier decision ordering the university lecturers to resume work was upheld, and the Court of Appeal on Friday ordered ASUU to do so after rejecting the union’s request for a stay of execution.
Chris Ngige, the minister of labor and employment, claims that labor inspectors are checking schools in all of the federation’s states to make sure they are abiding by the Court of Appeal’s decision over the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ strike (ASUU).
This was said by Mr. Ngige during his Friday appearance on the Channels TV show “Politics Today.”
He reiterated that in order to avoid being found in contempt of court, ASUU members must abide by the ruling.
According to reports, the court issued the directive after rejecting the union’s request for a stay of the National Industrial Court’s earlier decision ordering university teachers to resume their jobs.
The union was given permission to challenge the industrial court’s decision, but a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal chaired by Hamma Barka ruled that it must first start work in order to do so.
“I have asked labour controllers in the states and the zones to go to the schools and see if the vice chancellors have opened the gates.
“If they don’t, they will be charged for contempt,” he said.
In the interest of the students, according to Mr. Ngige, ASUU must visit the NIC once more.
The federal government’s “no work, no pay” approach was one of the seven issues the minister said he had forwarded to the NIC. He said that the policy would ultimately be decided by the court.
“I will advise them— for the benefit of the children, to go back to school. Then go back to the court (National Industrial Court). It will grant them either of two things. One, set up an Alternative Dispute Resolution to look at seven issues I transmitted to the court. The ADR will be domiciled in the court.
“Two, if the claimants and the defendant can go back to their primary root, the Ministry of Education,” he said.
After all other attempts to end the ongoing strike failed, Mr. Ngige claimed he was forced to take the union to court.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari stated that his administration would not sign any agreements with the union unless it was certain that it could carry them out during the budget presentation on Friday.
Mr. Buhari also disclosed that N470 billion has been set up for school revitalization and salary increases for academic institutions.
