ASUU strike: Buhari meets Pro-Chancellors, promises further consultations

By Ukpono Ukpong and Andrew Orolua

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with the Chairman and select members of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities, promising to engage in further consultations with relevant stakeholders towards ending the protracted strike by university lecturers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The President who met with the Pro-Chancellors at the State House said without necessarily going back on what is already established policy, “I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to you.”

The Pro-Chancellors were led to the meeting by Professor Nimi Briggs, who said they had come to meet with the President in three capacities: “As President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as Visitor to the Federal universities.”

He added that despite the pall cast by more than seven months of industrial action, “the future of university system in the country is good,” citing as example the recent listing of the University of Ibadan among the first 1,000 universities in the world, a development occurring for the first time.

Prof Briggs commended Federal Government for concessions already made to the striking lecturers, including the offer to raise salaries by 23.5% across board, and 35% for Professors. He, however, asked for “further inching up of the salary, in view of the economic situation of the country.”

The Pro-Chancellors also asked for a reconsideration of the No-Work, No-Pay stance of government, promising that lecturers would make up for time lost as soon as an amicable situation was reached, and schools reopened.

Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, said all the concessions made by Federal Government were to ensure that the industrial action comes to an end, but ASUU has remained adamant.

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court, NIC, sitting in Abuja, on Friday, refused the prayers of the Federal Government to direct the striking Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, to resume classes while the Federal Government suit is pending before it.

The Federal Government had filed the suit against ASUU seeking an order to put an end to its seven months old strike and to compel the University lecturers to go back to classes.

At resumed hearing on Friday, counsel to the Federal Government, James Ikwe, SAN, requested the court to direct ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the suit.

However, the defendant’s counsel, Femi Falana, SAN, opposed the request, stating that it would amount to determining the substantive suit before hearing.

Justice Justice P. l. Hammam who agreed with Femi Falana’s submission said it was the issue for determination and therefore could not be resolved before hearing.

Meanwhile, the application brought by SERAP seeking to be joined as an interested party was not heard as the counsel filed another application which was only served yesterday on the party.

SERAP’s lawyer, Adegboruwa Ebun-Oluwa prayed the court to withdraw the earlier application and substitute the same with the current one. The court subsequently struck out the earlier application.

The lawyer also argued that for the sake of justice his application should be heard before entertaining other matters related to the suit.

On his part, counsel for the defendant, Falana agreed that for interest of justice and clarity it would be proper to hear the application brought by SERAP pertaining same matter before the determination of other issues.

He, however, added that the defendant (ASUU) is making moves to meet with stakeholders to ensure that the matter is resolved. He, therefore, asked that the matter be adjourned till Friday for completion of the processes of filing that had commenced.

In response, counsel to the Federal Government, James Igwe, SAN, asked the court to give the substantive suit brought before the court an accelerated hearing because of the urgency of the matter, so that students can resume in schools.

He also contended that the SERAP application is not ripe for hearing because he has not been served.

The court in its ruling said the SERAP’s application is not yet ripe for hearing since it was only served yesterday to party through the Ministry of Justice.

The judge consequently adjourned the suit to Monday, September, 19 for hearing.