The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has warned the Academic Staff Union of Universities -ASUU, against flouting the court’s order on its eight-month strike.
Justice Polycarp Hamman of the National Industrial Court had in September, directed the striking varsity lecturers to suspend their ongoing strike and return to classrooms. But, ASUU had since appealed the ruling.
Later on, the Federal Government ordered the Vice-Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors of universities to reopen their institutions, in an attempt to force the varsity lecturers to return to work. The Nigerian government, however, withdrew the directive almost immediately.
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 2, by the ministry’s Deputy Director Press and Public Relations, Mr. Olajide Oshundun, the minister of education in the country, Chris Ngige, accused the leadership of ASUU of misinforming and misdirecting its members and warned on the consequences of potentially disobeying the court’s directive.
Ngige then called on the academic union to respect the court’s directive and return to classrooms while negotiations are tidied up on various contentious issues.
