The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Lagos, has ruled against the national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over its decision to ostracize the Lagos State University (LASU) branch, led by Prof. Ibrahim Bakare.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Sanda Yelwa, the court invalidated ASUU’s resolutions barring Prof. Bakare and his executive team from engaging in academic collaborations, such as sabbaticals, external examinations, and research activities.
Key Rulings
Justice Yelwa declared:
1. ASUU’s decision, taken during its March 2020 meeting in Enugu, to bar LASU’s ASUU leadership from participating in academic collaborations, was “illegal, unlawful, null, and void.”
2. The union lacked the authority to restrict LASU’s academic staff from engaging in professional activities, labeling the decision a breach of academic freedom and constitutional rights.
3. LASU’s ASUU branch retains the right to elect its executive committee without external interference.
The court issued a perpetual restraining order against ASUU and its agents from meddling with the academic freedom and constitutional rights of the LASU ASUU leadership.
Case Background
The lawsuit, marked NICN/318/2020, was initiated by Prof. Bakare and seven others after the national ASUU leadership continued to recognize the outgoing LASU ASUU executive and mandated other branches to disregard the newly elected team.
The court ruled in favor of the claimants, emphasizing that the actions of the ASUU national body were outside its jurisdiction and contrary to its constitutional code of practice.
Reaction to the Judgment
Prof. Bakare described the dispute as a “family issue” now resolved by the court and expressed his readiness to cooperate with ASUU’s national leadership moving forward.
The ruling is seen as a significant affirmation of academic freedom and underscores the autonomy of university branches in managing their internal affairs.