STRIKE: EBONYI GOVT DRAGS ASUU TO INDUSTRIAL COURT

The Ebonyi State government has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the National Industrial Court, over the latter’s refusal to suspend the five-month industrial action embarked upon by lecturers of the South –East states’ universities.

In a joint press conference addressed by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Jossy Eze and the Chief Press Secretary to the Ebonyi State governor, Dr. Onyekachi Eni, the government said that the action had just been instituted, against the ASUU national body with the Ebonyi State University chapter of the union joined as a co-defendant.

According to the Ebonyi State Attorney- General, the state government was seeking to restrain ASUU from continuing with the strike and compel it to resume work.

Mr Eze emphasised that the Ebonyi State government was not privy to the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government and, therefore, not bound by the agreement.

He accused ASUU of not following due process in embarking on the industrial action, which include appropriate notices, and actions to concerned parties before going on strike in line with the Trade Dispute Act.

In his remarks, Dr Eni said that the state government gave a monthly subvention of N120 million to the state university, stressing it would take the state government a whopping N400 million monthly to implement the CONUAS III, being demanded by ASUU, Ebonyi State University Chapter.