The National Industrial Court has adjourned the case between the Federal Government (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) till Friday, September 16.
Justice Polycap Hamman adjourned the matter to enable both parties to file the necessary papers for the suit.
NewsWireNGR reports that ASUU has been on strike since February 14, 2022, forcing all public universities to shut down.
The Head of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, had revealed that the matter was referred to the Registrar of National Industrial Court by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, following which the government approached the court requesting an order for ASUU to resume while the dispute is being addressed.
In a statement on Sunday, the Head of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, said the Federal Government took the decision after dialogue between it and ASUU failed.
The government wants the National Industrial Court to order ASUU members to resume work, while the court is addressing the issues in dispute.
The referral instrument addressed to the Registrar of Industrial Court was dated September 8, 2022, and signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
When the matter slated for mention came up, human rights activist, Ebunolu Adegoruwa, SAN, informed the court that he was representing the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and that he had filed a suit on the same subject matter before the same court.
He also stated that in the suit NICN/ABJ/269/2022, SERAP was the claimant with the Federal Government as the defendant.
He, therefore, proceeded to apply that the extant suit be consolidated and SERAP be joined in the suit as a defendant, instead of multiple suits on the same matter before the same court.
Counsel to the claimant, Mr T.A Gazali, SAN, in response, said the application was premature and added that there was no need for SERAP to pray to be joined in a suit, orally, in a matter that did not have its name on the cause list.
Mr Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to ASUU, in his response, informed the court that both counsel had informed him on Monday that they were both filing some papers.
