The National Industrial Court, NIC
has adjourned the suit against the Academic Staff Union of Universities which was filed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
Justice P.I Hamman, adjourned the suit until 16 September for further mention.
Daily Report Nigeria reported earlier that the court asked the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to appear before it on Monday in Abuja over the lingering strike embarked on by the union.
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This came after the Federal Government dragged ASUU to court over their disagreement.
During Monday’s proceedings, the Federal Government urged the National Industrial Court to order ASUU to call off its seven months strike
Also the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), sought to join the suit as an interested party.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SERAP’s lawyer, said his client had filed a similar suit asking the court to compel the federal government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking varsity lecturers.
“We filed a similar suit on 8 September, asking the court to compel the federal government to honour an agreement it willingly entered into with ASUU,” Mr Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said on Monday.
He based SERAP’s joinder request on the need to forestall duplicity of outcomes concerning the industrial dispute.
But the federal government’s lawyer, Tijjani Gazali, also a SAN, opposed Mr Adegboruwa’s application to consolidate the suits.
He told the judge that SERAP’s application was “premature” as the case was billed for mention on Monday.
Femi Falana, (SAN) representing ASUU, said he was aware of efforts by the lawyers to file court papers in the suit on Monday.
The judge in his ruling on the SERAP’s joinder application, agreed with the federal government that the suit was not ripe for consolidation. Adding that he was only presiding as a vacation judge as the case would be assigned to another judge for full adjudication.
Thereafter, the judge ordered parties in the suit to file and exchange their written submissions.
