Court Adjourns FG, ASUU Lawsuit Until March 28 for Ruling
The National Industrial Court on Tuesday adjourned the Federal government suit against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) until March 28, 2023, for the ruling.
The claimants, the Federal government and the Minister of Education, had dragged ASUU before the court in August 2022 over the then strike, for interpretation and application of some Trade Dispute Act (TDA).
The matter before the president of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, came up on Tuesday for a hearing of the defendant’s preliminary objection.
However, when the matter was called, the defence counsel, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, informed the court that his process on Reply on Point of Law could not be filed on Monday at the court’s registry due to an internet issue.
He, therefore, sought the leave of court for a short adjournment. The judge in response stepped down the matter until 1.00 p.m. to enable the counsel properly file his process and serve on the claimants’ counsel.
Upon the resumption of the court, Falana applied for his motion filed and dated Sept. 19, 2022, seeking for the leave of court for extension and his Reply on Point of Law filed Tuesday to be deemed as properly filed.
He further proceeded to inform the court that his preliminary objection was premised on the jurisdiction of the court and he relied on order 3 rule 6 of the TDA to argue that the Minister of Labour and Employment did not follow due process before issuing the referral to the court.
He stated that reconciliation steps were not duly followed and that the Minister could approach the court if parties of a Trade Union could not resolve their differences.
