The National industrial court has ordered university lectures to return to classroom pending the determination of the suit filed against the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Justice polycap Hamman, delivering ruling on the interlocutory injunction filed by the federal government, restrained ASUU for continuing with the industrial action pending the determination of the suit.
Meanwhile, ASUU, on Tuesday, dropped a hint that lecturers cannot be compelled to return to classes in the event of an order by the National Industrial Court of Arbitration.
ASUU National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this during a parley with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Osodeke, accompanied by ASUU executives, likened the scenario to a court order to force a medical doctor to treat a patient.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the Mallam Adamu Adamu-led Ministry of Education, he described the seven-month strike as symptomatic of the level of decay in the university system.
Claiming the ministry never called on ASUU for a meeting to explore avenues to end the strike, he said all his members got in return was a provocative no-work-no-pay policy.
Osodeke maintained that ASUU remains blameless about the closure of public universities. He warned that the universities, which account for over 95 per cent intake of students, face the risk of depreciating to the level of public primary schools within the next 10 years.
Gbajabiamila, who expressed concern over the impact of the strike on students, urged the aggrieved lecturers to shift grounds in the interest of the country’s educational sector.
He assured that the House would interface with President Muhammadu Buhari to find short-term and long-term solutions to challenges besetting the sector.
