The federal government has told the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) to obey the National Industrial Court ruling and call off
its seven-month strike.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige,
gave the advice while fielding questions from journalists on the margins of the
77th United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, and the Official Launch of the
Nigeria Integrated National Financing Framework Report (NIFF).
The industrial court on Wednesday, ordered ASUU to call off
its ongoing nationwide strike, pending the determination of a suit filed by the
Federal Government.
The federal government had dragged the lecturers to court in a bid to end the strike.
“I’m not ASUU but the maximum in law is that when there is a
court judgment or ruling or order you must first obey and then we can apply for
an appeal if you so desire or apply for stay that is stay of execution.
“So the maximum in law, jurisprudence and everything about
the law, is that you obey the court’s ruling, judgment or order, no matter how
bad. The qualifying thing is that no matter how bad and no matter how you
disagree with it, you first obey. Like the military people say, obey before
complain.
“So we expect them to get back to the classrooms but that
doesn’t foreclose negotiations, the negotiations should be on as a matter of
fact, it will be on officially and non officially.
“For example, the House of Representatives had invited us to
come and brief them. And together, they are stakeholders. You heard Mr
President said to the committee of Pro-Chancellors when they visited him, that
he would do consultation as per the two request on putting an icing on the cake
on the government offer to ASUU members and the issue of resettlement fund to
cushion the effect of the “no work no pay” situation they found themselves in.
“So, President will look at it, the House of Reps are
stakeholders, Ministers we are not only stakeholders, we are advisers to Mr.
President by the provisions of the Constitution, Section 5 of the Constitution
and 147, that appoints ministers one from each state of the Federation, and we
hold regular meetings with him, so we are his chief advisers.
“So, we will interface with the House of Representatives and all of us collectively will advise Mr. President,” Ngige said.
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