Some civil society groups have sued the Academic Staff Union
of Universities (ASUU) at the National Industrial Court over
alleged illegal and arbitrary strike.
In the first suit, Mr. Elaigwu Apeh, President, Northern Nigeria
Democratic Forum (NNDF), joined the president of ASUU, Mr Nasir Fagge
and nine others as defendants.
The NNDF is praying the court to determine whether or not ASUU can
declare a strike over purported breach of the memorandum of agreement by
the Federal Government.
The group is also asking the court to declare the strike by the
university lecturers illegal and a breach of the constitutional right of
the students to education.
Similarly, another civil society group, Golden Women of Integrity
and Vision Association, sued the union in a suit with number
NICN/ABJ/242/2013 seeking similar reliefs.
The Poverty Alleviation Advocacy and Justice Initiative (PAAJI), in
the third suit, also wants the court to award exemplary and special
damages against the ASUU.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that when the three cases
came up for mention in September, the defendants had not filed their
statements of defence.
The counsel to ASUU, Mr. Samuel Ogala, told the court that he had
filed a notice of preliminary objections, challenging all the suits.
The presiding judge, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, adjourned the cases
to Dec. 17 and Jan. 3, 2014 for the hearing of the preliminary
objections.
Adejumo also ordered that hearing notices should be served on all the parties in the suit before the next adjourned date.
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