The Federal Government has shifted talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from the negotiation table to the court.
With this development, distraught students of public universities, who have been off classrooms since February 14 when ASUU began an industrial action, may have more days to stay in their homes.
It was gathered that the Federal Government proceeded to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to stop members of the union from continuing the strike.
The case which was instituted by Labour and Employment Minister, Chris Ngige, comes up for mention in court today.
The minister said: “Considering that the public universities have been closed since the commencement of the strike, thereby jeopardizing the national education system; and in conformity with the provision of Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8. Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, now, therefore, I, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment in the exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8, Law of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2002 hereby refer this matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) for adjudication.”
The government asked the court to “issue orders for ASUU members to resume work in their various universities while the issues in dispute are being addressed by the NICN in line with Section 18(1) (b) of the Trade Disputes Act. CAP. T8. LFN 2004”.
