The Federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities ,ASUU’s lawyers could not resolve the eight months old strike out- of -court.
The lawyers James Igwe SAN and Femi Falana SAN told the Court of Appeal on Thursday that despite the admonition they could resolve the dispute.
Presiding Justice Hamma Barka, therefore, step the matter down for an hour to enable Falana the counsel to ASUU to file reply to a copious counter affidavit deposed to by the Federal government in opposition to the hearing of the appeal.
At the resumed hearing this afternoon, Falana said ” while appreciating your Lordships intervention and quality advice to exploit amicable resolution I am delighted to inform that we have began consultation. We also agreed that upon the conclusion of this proceedings of today we will continue the consultation with a view to end the strike soon.”
He thereafter prayed the court to allow the application to remain in the file while the consultation continue.
But , James Igwe SAN objected . He said they did not meet at all. He explained that he called Falana yesterday at 5pm when he finished filing his response but Falana did not take his calls.
He further stated that Falana only replied the calls about 8.45pm and informed him that he was at a meeting in the villa over same issue. That Falana sent him same demands , which ASUU claimed they can not go below.
“Then I told him that we can not get an amicable resolution except they remove the extreme demands. We agreed to let the court hear his application as it would not be right to keep clients in abeyance”.
In his reply , Falana said he had taken Igwe in confidence and explained to him that President Buhari is meeting with the National Assembly over same issue and that the minister alone can not resolve the issues.
Secondly, he said that the Federal government has filed copious counter affidavit which ASUU is entitled to respond to.
In a brief ruling Justice Barka gave Falana one hour to file his reply and step down the matter till 1.30 pm.