The prolonged strike by lecturers has taken a new dimension today when the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja ordered the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to call off its industrial strike action and to return to work immediately.
The appellate court gave the order in a ruling on an application filed by the ASUU seeking permission for it to appeal against the order of the National Industrial Court which asked the striking lecturers to resume duty.
The industrial court had on September 21, granted an interlocutory order following an application to that effect by the Federal Government, ordering university lecturers to return to work pending the resolution of their dispute with government.
Not satisfied with the outcome, ASUU had through it’s counsel, Femi Falana SAN headed to the appellate court to seek redress.
At the Appeal Court, ASUU filed an application dated September 28, seeking the leave of court to file an appeal against the industrial court order.
But in it’s ruling, the Court of Appeal which granted ASUU conditional leave to appeal the order of the Industrial Court, insisted that ASUU must obey the order of the lower court with effect from today, October 7.
The 3-man panel led by Justice Hamman Barka, said for ASUU to file it’s notice of appeal within 7 days, it must show evidence that it’s members had resumed work October 7.
The panel unanimously held that Failure to adhere to the order, would make the appeal incompetent before the Court of Appeal.
