The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has made it clear that before it would entertain appeal from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), its members must obey the judgment of the lower court by resuming duty immediately.
The 3-man panel of the appeal court, led by Justice Hamman Barka, said today, October 7, that for ASUU to file its notice of appeal within 7 days, it must show evidence that its members have resumed work October 7.
“Failure to adhere to the order will make the appeal incompetent before the Court of Appeal,” the panel unanimously held.
ASUU had gone to the Court of Appeal seeking permission for it to appeal against the order of the National Industrial Court which asked the striking lecturers to resume duty.
The industrial court had, on September 22, granted an interlocutory order, following an application to that effect by the Federal Government, ordering university lecturers to return to work pending the resolution of their dispute with government.
ASUU, through it’s counsel, Femi Falana SAN had gone to the appellate court to seek redress.
At the Appeal Court, ASUU filed an application dated September 28, seeking the leave of court to file an appeal against the industrial court order.
But in it’s ruling today, the Court of Appeal which granted ASUU “conditional leave to appeal the order of the Industrial Court” insisted that ASUU must obey the order of the lower court with effect from today, October 7.