The Federal Government has threatened members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if they fail to resume as directed by the National Industrial Court.
This was revealed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in an interview monitored on Channel TV on Friday.
The minister said he had directed labour controllers to monitor compliance at all tertiary institutions across the states.
Dr Ngige said, “The court says ASUU must obey today (Friday). I have asked labour controllers in the 36 states and the zones to reach out to the universities; number one, to see if the vice chancellors have opened the gates because that is one of the imports of the judgment of the Industrial Court.
“You must open the gates, you must open the class rooms and to see whether those workers, those teachers reported today, tomorrow Friday and Saturday. My labour controllers will write me a report.
“The Education Ministry through the NUC will also do their bit and we will compare it. By Tuesday, if they have complied with this, first, they will have the right to appeal as the court says.
“If they come back to their classroom, they will have time to attach evidence and do their appeal. My labour controllers will also give me things to support education in the country. If they don’t, go and read that portion of the NICN Act, they will be charged for contempt.”
However, the academic union has said it will study the court ruling of the appeal court which ordered its members to return back to work.
This was disclosed by the union’s national president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke.
On Friday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Hamma Barka granted the union permission to appeal the ruling of the industrial court but ruled that it must first resume work to be allowed to file the appeal.
