Breaking: ASUU Reacts To Court Ruling Ordering Lecturers Back To Class

ASUU Reacts To Court Ruling Ordering Lecturers Back To Class

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over demands from the government.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Wednesday revealed that the union’s leadership will meet to discuss the ruling of the National Industrial Court.

The court earlier ordered the immediate reopening of universities after seven months strike by the university lecturers’ union, ASUU.

It earlier reported that while delivering a judgement on the Nigerian government’s interlocutory injunction, Justice Polycarp Hamman stopped ASUU from continuing with the strike until the case was resolved.

“When we meet and deliberate on the ruling and other related issues, we will inform you,” Osodoke, however, told Vanguard in his reaction to the court judgement.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has praised the court’s order that ASUU should return to work, describing it as a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Comrade Usman Barambu, National President of NANS, told on Wednesday said the Nigerian Government should not see the judgement as a victory over ASUU.

He said, “It is a win-win situation for all, the government, the students, parents and ASUU. It is not that the court has given the government a kind of victory over ASUU or that the government has boxed ASUU to a corner.

“As students, we are happy about the development as it is a sort of progress being made regarding how to resolve the face-off.

“We implore the government to meet the demands of ASUU, as the court said negotiation will continue while the matter is being heard before the court. Also, the government should not because of the fact that the matter is still before the court takes the issue of negotiation with ASUU with levity. It is still a running matter.

“As students, we are happy that academic activities may soon resume in our university campuses.”

Also, parents under the auspices of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, have reacted to the development.

The body, speaking through its National President, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, said the government and the union should obey the court’s verdict.

“Since it is a court of competent jurisdiction that gave the ruling, there is no way it should not be binding on the parties involved. Already, everybody involved seems to be tired of the endless strike. The situation is heading to a dangerous dimension as students are beginning to protest and block roads all over the country.

“As parents, we are already becoming afraid that the protests could be hijacked by hoodlums and the unexpected happening. Now, there is hope that our children may go back to school soon. But our advice for the government is that they should do the needful regarding their obligations to the union members, the students, the university system and education sector as a whole,” he stated.

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over demands from the government.