The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Comrade Usman Barambu, has given a strong reason why the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU should return to classrooms following the recent court judgment.
AFRIPOST reports that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria ordered ASUU to return to work.
The Federal Government in a suit before the court had asked it to order ASUU to call off its seven-month-old strike.
Despite the court order, students have remained at home as report claims ASUU has already appealed the case.
But in an exclusive chat with AFRIPOST, Barambu said the judgment was a win-win injunction that allows ASUU and the federal government to continue negotiation even when they have returned to class.
He said the appeal of the case could go as far as the supreme court, but that such will further complicate the situation of the Nigerian students, urging ASUU to call off its 7 months strike.
“ We said to the whole world that this judgment is a win-win one because the court didn’t say ASUU should go back and that is the end. No! That’s not what the court is saying. It said ‘Go back and let’s continue with the process.’ And they didn’t say the federal government should not pay ASUU.
“They said let’s continue with the court process and negotiation. What it means is that while the process is on, they need to go back to class. I was actually in court during the ruling. The judge said for us Nigerian students and for our parents, we have wasted 7 months already, so if we are to wait for the court to decide, it will take months. So the judge looked at our situation as Nigerian students and said because of this and that, go back to class, but negotiation must continue.
“We, as students are happy with the judgment because it didn’t end there. The judge said the process will continue. While addressing the press after the judgment, I said the Nigerian government should do the needful while ASUU also respects the judgment,” Bambaru told AFRIPOST.