Popular Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has made some open claims that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will be finalising its strike action and calling off its strike action soon.
Falana, who is also ASUU’s counsel had made this disclosure during a book launch which had been hosted by Lanre Arogundade on Monday in Lagos.
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It can be recalled that the Nigerian Lecturers had embarked on their current industrial action on February 14, almost eight months ago.
Falana has now hinted that the industrial action will be concluded outside the courtroom and this is coming on the heels of the appellate court’s order that the public universities’ lecturers return to classrooms.
“The legal advice that I will give to my clients is confidential. But I can assure you that the strike will soon be called off,” Falana stated.
In another related development, the Federal Government has threatened to drag the striking lecturers, who are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to court for contempt if they fail to resume as ruled by the National Industrial Court.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who issued this threat on Friday during an interview monitored on Channel TV, disclosed that he had directed labour controllers to monitor compliance at all tertiary institutions across the states.
He said, ‘The court says ASUU must obey today (Friday). I have asked labour controllers in the 36 states and the zones to reach out to the universities; number one, to see if the vice chancellors have opened the gates because that is one of the imports of the judgment of the Industrial Court.
‘You must open the gates, you must open the class rooms and to see whether those workers, those teachers reported today, tomorrow Friday and Saturday. My labour controllers will write me a report.
‘The Education Ministry through the NUC will also do their bit and we will compare it. By Tuesday, if they have complied with this, first, they will have the right to appeal as the court says.
‘If they come back to their classroom, they will have time to attach evidence and do their appeal. My labour controllers will also give me things to support education in the country. If they don’t, go and read that portion of the NICN Act, they will be charged for contempt,’ he said.
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Meanwhile, the ASUU has said it will study the ruling of the appeal court which ordered its members to return back to work.