Law Students Sue ASUU, FG Over Strike, Demand ₦10bn Compensation

Law Students Association of Nigeria has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and relevant ministries representing the Federal Government to the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging what it described as the incessant strikes of the union.

The students through the National President of the Law Students Association of Nigeria, Blessing Agbomhere, sought an award of N10bn as compensation for the violation of their rights to education for the period of about nine months that their public institutions of learning had been shut down.

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1551/2012 was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.

Joined as defendants are, ASUU; ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi; the Minister of Education; the Minister of Labour and Employment; the Attorney General of Federation; and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In the suit which was filed at the court on Friday, the association is seeking an order to compel ASUU to return to the classroom as well as an order of perpetual injunction to restrain ASUU from embarking on further strikes.

The suit which was filed by the President of the association, Mr Blessing Agbomhere on behalf of his members is also asking the court to compel ASUU to pay N10 billion compensation to Nigerian students.

This, the association claims is for allegedly infringing on the right of the students to education as guaranteed by Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17 of African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

The association is further asking the court to order ASUU to pay damages to all Nigerian students for the psychological and emotional torture metted out to them as well as the loss of valuable time following the continuous strike.