The Federal Government has warned the striking lecturers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities ASUU to stop disobeying the verdict of the the National Industrial Court (NICN), which ordered them to resume classes.
The warning was issued by the Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, in a signed over the weekend by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Olajide Oshundun.
It will be recalled that the striking union has said that its members were not obligated to obey the order to the Industrial Court order to resume work, noting that the union has decided to appeal.
He added that the university lecturers should stop taking laws into its hands by directing its members not to stop the strike.
The former Governor of Anambra State balso warned that the union risks consequences of contempt of court order.
Part of the 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”, it said.
