The judge, in his ruling, adjourned the matter till Friday, September 16, 2022, for further mention.
The suit filed by Federal Government against the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) has been adjourned till Friday, September 16, 2022.
The suit filed on behalf of the FG by Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, came up before Justice Polycarp Hamman of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria today, Monday, September 12, 2022, in Abuja.
The FG had urged the court to order ASUU to call off its seven months strike.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu is joined as the claimant in the matter, while ASUU president Professor Emmanuel Osodeke is the sole defendant.
During the proceedings, human rights activist, Ebunolu Adegoruwa prayed the court to join the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in the suit as a defendant.
The lawyer said he had filed a suit on the same subject matter before the same court.
But Counsel to the claimant, T.A Gazali, SAN said Adegoruwa’s application was premature, adding that there was no need for SERAP to pray to be joined in a suit, orally, in a matter that did not have its name on the cause list.
In his response, Counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana SAN informed the court that both counsels had earlier informed him that they were both filing some papers.
He further urged the court to step down the matter to enable both counsels to file their papers and then return at a later date after which he would have responded to the claimant’s process.
Responding, Adegoruwa said the defendant had not denied the existence of the suit SERAP filed and served on them.
Gazali, however, informed the court that his process would be filed on Monday (today), while Falana promised to reply to the process in three days time.
The judge, in his ruling, adjourned the matter till Friday, September 16, 2022, for further mention.
