FG, ASUU fail to reach agreement on out-of-court settlement

The federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are yet to reach an agreement on resolving the issues that led to the union’s strike.

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

After several meetings between ASUU and the federal government ended in deadlock, the federal government went to the national industrial court to challenge the strike.

The court of appeal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, had asked the parties to explore the option of an out-of-court settlement.

Georgewill Abraham, the judge, had suggested that the federal government and ASUU take 24 hours to dialogue and come up with a resolution that would make Nigerians happy.

But at the hearing on Thursday,  James Igwe, counsel to the federal government, and Femi Falana, counsel to ASUU, told the court of appeal that a resolution had not been reached.

Hamma Barka, the presiding judge, thereafter, stepped down the matter for an hour to enable ASUU file a reply to the counter affidavit deposed to by the federal government in opposition to the hearing of the union’s 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 also asked that ASUU’s application challenging the ruling of the industrial court be heard by the appeal court.

Both parties agreed that the court should hear the application, as there was no amicable resolution reached as advised.

The next hearing is scheduled for Friday.