Anthony Iwuoma
The Federal Government has accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of dishonesty and misleading its members.
This stems from the Union’s refusal to obey the interlocutory injunction given by the National Industrial Court (NICN), restraining the ASUU from further continuing its almost eight-month strike.
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Consequently, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, in a statement signed by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Olajide Oshundun, warned the university lecturers of dire consequences for ignoring the court’s directive.
ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had insisted that the Union was not bound by the Industrial Court order to resume work since the Union had appealed against the ruling and was awaiting hearing on the request for stay of execution from the court, a claim the minister refuted.
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Dr. Ngige’s statement read, “The Union is dishonest and misleading its members and the general public that it has filed an appeal as well as a stay of execution of the order of National Industrial Court on September 21, 2022, though it has none of this.
“Rather, ASUU only filed an application for a permission to appeal the order. It also attached to the application, a proposed notice of appeal which it intends to file if the leave to appeal is granted. The application for a stay of execution as of this moment has not even been listed for hearing. Where then is ASUU coming from?
“It is, therefore, contemptuous, dishonest and misleading for the union to tell its members that it has not only appealed the interlocutory injunction by the National Industrial Court, directing it to call off strike and return to work, but that it also has a Stay of Execution.”