The Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria has vowed to appeal the ruling of the industrial court ordering them to resume teachings with immediate effect.
The decision to file an appeal was contained in a directive issued by the National President of the body Professor Emmanuel Osodeke who urged its members to stay calm while hinting to them that legal counsels to the union are perfecting their documents to carry out their appeal.
In the directive obtained by LAW FM, Osodeke urged the Zonal Committee of ASUU to inform other lecturers that the lawyers of the union are filing for a stay of execution of the judgment. He added that if they remain united, it will be impossible for the government to defeat them.
LAW FM had earlier reported that Justice Polycap Hamman of the national industrial court, Abuja ruled that the lecturers should call off their seven-month-old strike.
Quoting section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act, Justice Hamman compelled the university teachers to go back to classrooms as they continue with their negotiations and await the meeting of their demands for better working conditions by the government.
He also noted that it was important for the lecturers to resume as soon as possible in the interest of the Nigerian students.
In its own reaction, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS rejected the decision of the court as they claimed that the judgment betrays equity.
According to a statement signed by the national spokesperson of the association, Giwa Yisa Temitope, NANS insisted that the court has done nothing to resolve the problem.
Giwa noted that ordinarily the Federal Government was not meant to drag ASUU to court. He added that the fact that they had to drag ASUU to court is a signal that the government cannot handle the crisis.
