Concerns As ASUU Vows to Appeal Court Decision, Raises Concerns About Lecturers Leaving Nigeria

• Reactions have started trailing the decision of ASUU to appeal the decision of the national industrial court that ordered the union to call off its seven months long strike
• A legal practitioner, Ismail Balogun, said that the court decision requires ASUU to return to classrooms with immediate effect
• However, Balogun noted that ASUU has the right to appeal the decision but said that the chances of the union winning the appeal cannot be ascertained

Reactions have started trailing the decision of the Nigeria Nigerian national industrial court (NNIC), ordering the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria (ASUU) to call off its over seven months strike and return to classrooms.

The national chairman of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the decision of the industrial court is not final and that the academics are consulting with their lawyers to decide on the next action to appeal the judgement.

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Lawyer expresses pessimism about ASUU's chances in appeal court

A legal practitioner, Ismail Balogun, while speaking with Legit.ng, stated that the ruling effectively required ASUU to resume classrooms immediately.

Balogun also posited that though ASUU has the right to appeal, but the success of ASUU’s appeal cannot be ascertained due to the peculiarity of litigation in Nigeria.

He said:

"It was a Ruling on the interlocutory application/Injunction filed by the FG. The ruling becomes immediately effective and binding on ASUU forthwith. However, this is without prejudice to the right of ASUU to appeal the ruling to the Court of Appeal. Due to vagaries of litigation in Nigeria, it is impossible to ascertain the likelihood of success of the appeal filed by ASUU at the appellate court."

Industrial court judgement is catastrophe, many lecturers will leave Nigeria - ASUU

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Osodeke described the court's decision as a catastrophe when he was featured on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Wednesday, September 21, which the video was shared on the medium’s Twitter page.

The union president said the judge has the right to deliver its judgement and the group also has the right to appeal.

ASUU maintained that the judgement did not address why the union went on strike while raising concerns about the students who have been at home for over two years.

Osodeke then raises concerns that many lecturers will leave the country with the court decision that neglected the union's concern.

Court orders ASUU to end strike, gives strong reason

Legit.ng earlier reported that the striking universities' lecturers, ASUU, have been directed by the national industrial court to return to classrooms after seven months of lecture boycott.

The industrial court sitting in Abuja gave the verdict on Wednesday, September 21, noting that national interest is at stake.

Justice Polycarp Hamman invoked section 18 of the trade dispute act, which empowered the court to order an end to the strike when national interest is at stake.

Source: Legit.ng