The National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Wednesday ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its strike.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on behalf of the Federal Government had sued ASUU to court in order to resolve the issue of the ongoing strike.

The Federal Government through its counsel, James Igwe, appealed to the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining ASUU from taking further steps as regards the strike, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

In his submission, James Igwe informed the court that the application for the injunction was dated September 12 and filed the same date.

He urged the court to grant the appeal and proceeded to adopt in its entirety and totality the written address, adding that the claimants had met all the requirements to enable the court grant the injunction.

He concluded by saying that going by the provision of section 18 (1) (e) of the Trade Disputes Act 2004, a worker should not embark on strike when a matter is already before the court.

The counsel to the defendant (ASUU), Mr Femi Falana, stated that a nine-paragraph counter-affidavit had been filed on September 16 and deposed to by the President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke.

Falana argued that the minister lacked the power to order the court to direct ASUU to call off its strike when all conditions have not been met.

He finally urged the court to dismiss the application.

Recall that ASUU has been on strike since February 14 to press home its demands for improved funding for universities, a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

Several meetings between ASUU and the Federal Government since then had ended in deadlocks.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Polycarp Hamman, however declared that the strike was a breach of the Section 18(1)(2) of the Trade Disputes Act, which prohibits their action and ordered the union to put an end to the strike.

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