ASUU Strike: Civil society groups (NNDF, GWIVA, PAAJI) sue ASUU

SOME civil society groups have sued the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the National Industrial Court over alleged illegal and arbitrary strike.

In the first suit, Mr. Elaigwu Apeh, President, Northern Nigeria Democratic Forum (NNDF), joined the president of ASUU, Mr Nasir Fagge and nine others as defendants.

The NNDF is praying the court to determine whether or not ASUU can declare a strike over purported breach of the memorandum of agreement by the Federal Government.

The group is also asking the court to declare the strike by the university lecturers illegal and a breach of the constitutional right of the students to education.

Similarly, another civil society group, Golden Women of Integrity and Vision Association, sued the union in a suit with number NICN/ABJ/242/2013 seeking similar reliefs.

The Poverty Alleviation Advocacy and Justice Initiative (PAAJI), in the third suit, also wants the court to award exemplary and special damages against the ASUU.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that when the three cases came up for mention in September, the defendants had not filed their statements of defence.

The counsel to ASUU, Mr. Samuel Ogala, told the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objections, challenging all the suits.

The presiding judge, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, adjourned the cases to Dec. 17 and Jan. 3, 2014 for the hearing of the preliminary objections.

Adejumo also ordered that hearing notices should be served on all the parties in the suit before the next adjourned date. tribune