Universities reopen on the 17th as ASUU branches begin voting today, Wednesday

Branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will commence traditional voting today (Tuesday)and tomorrow (Wednesday) over the ongoing strike by the union, it could be recalled that myschoolnews reported that the University Management headed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Florence Banku Obi is said to have plans to reopen the University on the week of the 17th of October, 2022.

The decision of the various branches will be transmitted to the National Executive Council for final decision.

A highly-placed source within the NEC disclosed this in a chat with our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday.

“We got the directive after the meeting with the speaker yesterday(Monday). The intervention was timely. Branches will vote between today and tomorrow after which the decisions will be convened to the NEC,” the source said.

The PUNCH reports that the new development comes on the heels of the meeting with the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who called several meetings between the union and the side of the Federal Government.

The lead counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, SAN had also explained to The PUNCH that the strike would be over in a few days.

ASUU had on Monday, February 14, 2022 embarked on a strike over what the union described as the failure of the government to meet lingering demands of the union.

The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige after what he described as “failed negotiations” dragged the striking lecturers to the National Industrial Court.

The National Industrial Court had on 21 September ordered ASUU to call off the strike.

The court granted the motion on notice filed by the federal government, directing the lecturers to return to classrooms.

Ruling on the interlocutory injunction, the trial judge, Polycarp Hamman, restrained ASUU from continuing with the industrial action pending the determination of the suit filed against ASUU by the federal government.

Displeased by the ruling, the union headed to the appeal court to appeal the ruling.

It also filed a stay of execution of the ruling of the industrial court.

The Court of Appeal ordered the striking lecturers to “immediately” call off the eight months strike, having struck out ASUU’s application for a stay of execution of the lower court’s order.

It said it was within ASUU’s right to appeal the decision of the industrial court.

Agreeing with the federal government’s argument that ASUU cannot approach the appellate court with “dirty hands”, the panel held, “should the applicant fail to obey the order (of the lower court), the leave granted shall be automatically vacated.”