The National Industrial Court of Nigeria postponed the hearing on the dispute between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities on the government’s withholding of eight months’ worth of lecturers’ salaries until May 2.
Following the failure of the government and ASUU to come to terms during the strike in 2022, the minister of labor and employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, filed a lawsuit against the union.
The judge praised Ngige for filing a lawsuit against ASUU after the unsuccessful reconciliation attempt.
The minister requested an interlocutory injunction restraining ASUU from continuing the strike, pending the determination of the substantive suit with number: NICN/ABJ/270/22-FGN, Min. of Edu. vs ASUU.
The suit sought the interpretation of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, as it relates to industrial actions.
Although the court earlier ordered ASUU to suspend the strike, an order which the union complied with, the judge adjourned the hearing on the matter of withheld salaries to May 2, 3, and 4.
According to Punch, the series of adjournments, the ASUU Chairman at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, who also serves as a member of the National Executive Council of ASUU, Prof Gbolahan Bolarin, said, “One thing is sure and that is the fact that we are very optimistic that the truth will come out. Everybody will know the truth, so we are optimistic.”