The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Thursday, failed to reach a compromise as advised by the Court of Appeal in attempt to end the eight-month-old strike.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had Wednesday asked the federal government and the ASUU to explore the option of an out-of-court settlement in resolving the ongoing strike.
ASUU has been on strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, one of the Justices on the panel, Justice George will Abraham asked counsel if he could sit on the panel considering his relationship with one of the Professors; and both counsels to the Federal Government and ASUU asked him to remain on the panel that, they have confidence in him for a just judgement in the matter.
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Other members on the panel, Justices Hama Barka and Nature Gafai joined their brother Justice in appealing to Falana and Igwe to have a round table discussion and resolve their differences, saying, “It should not be war, war, go back and talk”.
Both Igwe and Falana, representing the Federal Government and ASUU respectively promised to heed the advice of the court and would meet and think of how to resolve the matter for the striking lecturers to go back to the classroom.
Both counsels agreed to put their heads together and would have information for the court on Thursday, being the next adjourned day to hear ASUU’s application.
However, the FG’s lawyer, James Igwe, and lead counsel for ASUU, Femi Falana (SAN), on Thursday told the Court of Appeal that despite the admonition, they could not resolve the dispute.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamma Barka, thereafter, stepped down the matter for an hour to enable the counsel for ASUU, Falana, to file a reply to the counter affidavit deposed to by the FG in opposition to the hearing of the appeal.
At the resumption of the hearing, Falana said they had begun consultations which would continue at the end of the day’s proceedings.
He suggested that their application challenging the ruling of the Industrial Court be heard by the three-man panel of the Appeal Court.
Both parties agreed that the court should hear the application, as there was no amicable resolution reached as advised by the court.
ASUU, it is learned, is set to sue the Federal Government over the registration of the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) contrary to provisions of Trade Union Act.
The Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige had on Tuesday presented certificates of registration to CONUA and NAMDA.
Ngige, who spoke while presenting the certificate of registration to the two unions explained that the two bodies will exist along aside ASUU.
Speaking with Channels Television on Thursday, the lead counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, SAN noted that the union would sue the Federal Government over the registration of the two unions.
“ASUU is going to court. It is going to be the NIC,” ASUU’s lawyer, Femi Falana, said.
Meanwhile, the Appellate Court in Abuja adjourned till Friday to rule on an application the ASUU filed to stay the execution of the ruling of the National Industrial Court, NIC, that ordered an end to its ongoing strike action.
A three-man panel of the appellate court led by Justice Hamma Barka, said it would also consider the merit in ASUU’s request for leave to file a comprehensive appeal to set-aside the NIC ruling.
