Lagos — After eight years of gruelling legal tussle, justice finally came the way of five out of the 49 sacked lecturers of the University of Ilorin on June 12 when the Supreme Court ordered their immediate reinstatement to their former positions as university lecturers. The appeal of the other 44 lecturers comes up for determination at the Supreme Court on September 8, 2009.

The 49 lecturers ("Ilorin 49") were fired by the Federal Government for spearheading the strike of the Academic Staff Union of universities (ASUU) on May 15, 2001 over issues of University salary structure, conditions of service of academic staff, university autonomy, academic freedom and others. Consequently the 49 lecturers dragged the government to court over their dismissal. After being heard by the High Court and Court of Appeal respectively, the matter eventually got to the Supreme Court. In its unanimous decision, the apex court ruled that the five lecturers should be immediately reinstated for being wrongly sacked.

We applaud the Supreme Court judgment. There is no doubt that it is a victory for justice, for democracy and a victory for the rule of law. We hope that the authorities of the University of Ilorin would live up to their promise and obey the decision of the Supreme Court fully.

However, the appeal of the other 44 lecturers which is pending at the Supreme Court makes the victory of the five lecturers incomplete. We hope that they would be favoured by justice when their appeal comes up at the Supreme Court on September 8, 2009. What is sauce for the goose is equally good for the gander. The case of the five lecturers are governed by the same set of facts and circumstances as the 44 lecturers.

This is the time to end the muscle-flexing between the Federal Government and ASUU. It has left an indelible stain on the university system. It has also ridiculed the international image of the country. Worse still, it has brought untold hardship, deprivation, humiliation and frustration to the embattled lecturers, their wives, children and relatives. Out of frustration, some of them have left the country in search of safer pastures abroad. One of the lecturers was involved in a motor accident on his way to court to appear in the matter and has since been hospitalized in London at the expense of ASUU. Another lecturer who was struck by an eye ailment has been flown to India for treatment. The saddest aspect is that three of the lecturers have died in the course of the protracted legal battle ostensibly due to frustration.

These tragedies buttress the great need for speedy dispensation of justice in our law courts. Justice delayed, it is said, is justice denied. The delay in enthroning justice does not only engender loss of public confidence in the judiciary, but foists injustice on the system. If justice had come the way of the lecturers much earlier, the above tragedies would probably have been averted.

Nevertheless, we are happy that the disagreements between the Federal Government and ASUU are finally being resolved by the Supreme Court and that justice being done. We look forward to seeing a peaceful university atmosphere that encourages academic research and excellence. Government must stop treating members of ASUU with contempt. At a time when our finest university lecturers are fleeing Nigeria for better opportunities abroad, the government cannot be firing the few university lecturers in the country. On the other hand, ASUU must learn to sheathe its sword when it matters most.

Considering the unending crises rocking our universities and the entire education system, government and ASUU should expend their energies in promoting academic excellence in our universities, instead of wasting them in fuelling bickering that does nobody any good.