BREAKING: ASUU loses again, as Appeal Court orders it to return to classrooms

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lost another legal battle in the struggle to get Nigerian government to do its bidding.

This is as the Court of Appeal on Friday ordered ASUU members to end their eight-month-old strike and return to the lecture halls.

The court hinged the consideration of the union’s appeal on calling off its almost eight-month-old industrial action.

The Court said the union’s appeal would not be considered until it calls off its almost eight-month-old industrial action.

Read also:Ngige’s quarrel with Adamu, ASUU not helping matters, Jega slams labour minister as strike continues

Justice Hamma Barka, who gave the ruling, also granted ASUU “conditional leave to appeal the order of the Industrial Court, while insisting that ASUU must obey the order of the lower court with effect from today, October 7.”

The union embarked on its strike in February in the bid to press home its demands from the Federal Government.

The tussel became more volatile when the Federal Government, through Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, dragged the union to the Industrial Court of Nigeria.

Justice Polycarp Hamman, while ruling on the matter in September, had ordered the union to call off its strike in the interest of Nigerian students.

He noted that the industrial action was at variance with the Section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act.

However, ASUU had filed an appeal having felt uncomfortable with the ruling.

Contrary to the advice of the appellate court, Femi Falana and James Igwe, the lead counsel to the union and Federal Government respectively, said on Thursday the parties could not settle the matter out of court.

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