Education

Again, ASUU Extends Strike

By Web News 472

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended its strike by another four weeks to give the Federal Government more time to meet its demands.

The union took the decision at the end of its National Executive Council meeting at its national secretariat in Abuja on Sunday.

In a statement by its President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, the union said: “Following extensive deliberations and taking cognisance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MOA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.

“The role-over strike action is with effect from 12.01a.m. on Monday, 1st August, 2022.”

The Nation/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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Education

House Vows to End ASUU Strike as NLC Protests

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The House of Representatives says it will intervene actively in the dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal government.

The Chairman House Committee on labour, Muhammad Wudil, made the remark when he led other members of the house to receive the Nigerian Labour Congress and its affiliate unions who were in the National Assembly to protest the prolonged ASUU strike.

Mr Wudil, stated that since the beginning of the strike action, the House has been consulting relevant stakeholders with a view to ending the crisis.

The lawmaker assured the protesting unions that the National Assembly would invite all the stakeholders to sit down and see how the crises could be resolved.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Ayuba Waba, stated that they were in the National Assembly to register their protest on the lingering ASUU strike and the urgent need to end it.

Comrade Wabba, who expressed the union’s support to ASUU, lamented that Nigerian universities are the least paid in Africa.

The NLC Chairman warned that if nothing was done after the protest, their next line of action would be a three-day nationwide protest and a strike action.

The Mega Protest Rally organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to demand an end to the prolonged strike by university-based unions has taken off from the Unity Fountain, Maitama, Abuja to the National Assembly Complex.

The protest rally is witnessing a large turned out of workers from the 43 affiliate unions of the NLC, causing heavy traffic gridlock between the Maitama- Federal Secretariat axis of the FCT.

NLC President, Ayubba Wabba told the mammoth crowd of workers who gathered earlier at the Unity Fountain that Congress can no longer endure the endless negotiation since the strike commenced in February this year, and called on the Federal Government to be sincere with the unions and address their demands for the campuses to reopen for students.

While also addressing the protesters, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke stated that the union’s home-grown payment platform, the University Transparency, and Accountability Solutions, UTAS, was developed to accommodate the peculiarities in the university system did not fail the integrity test as alleged by the Federal Government.

 Daniel Adejo

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Education

Strike Continues- ASUU

By Web News 428

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the union will not call off its six-month-old strike action until the federal government meets their demand.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday in Abuja, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, accused the Ministry of Labour and Employment, led by Dr Chris Ngige of a “Conciliator” for not doing the needful on the lingering strike.

ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on a strike to press home its demands, including the government’s investment in the nation’s university infrastructure, and payment of members’ salaries through the recommended University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) platform, among several others.

Prof Osodeke said the Union would not suspend the strike until all issues raised were addressed permanently.

“ASUU, therefore, makes bold to say that the Minister of Labour and Employment has taken upon himself the role of unabashed protagonist in our ongoing dispute with the government of Nigeria for some inexplicable reasons” Prof Osodeke stated.

The union says it remained focused on its goal of making the Nigerian University system internationally competitive and getting its products to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their peers in any part of the world.

“We appreciate the teeming Nigerians for identifying with our vision in this respect. We specifically acknowledge the support and sacrifices of our students (including our members who are running their postgraduate programmes) as well as their parents; they are our critical partners in this transformation project. We in ASUU shall do our utmost best not to let you down” ASUU President noted.

ASUU President said the Ministry of Labour and Employment, as the chief labour ministry of the country, is principally expected to apprehend disputes between employers and employees with a view to settling such disputes.

“However, ASUU has always had serious reservations about the claim of ‘conciliation’ by someone who has taken sides in the dispute, or by the unabashed protagonist in the crisis such as the current Minister of Labour and Employment. It is antithetical to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions (98, 151 & 154) on collective bargaining.

On the issue of funding of public universities, Prof Osodeke said it has become the pastime of government officials to talk tough about billions and trillions of naira whenever the thorny issues of education and health sectors’ funding come up for mention.

ASUU believes that the idea of the availability of funds is a dynamic process. For instance, the government can mobilize funds from different sources including non-budgetary outlets like stamp duty, GSM and alcoholic taxes.

“We restate our opposition to the proliferation of universities and other tertiary institutions merely for political gains or electoral value. Nigerians should read through the intentions of hypocritic political jobbers when dangling the carrots of siting institutions they have no intention of developing to compete with others in Africa and beyond,” He stated.

He lamented that various sums of money in the same region which could have been deployed for human capacity development and public good usually disappear into the thin air at the end of the day.

FRCN Abuja/Adetutu Adetule

Education

ASUU Strike: Union Meets August 1 

By Web News 1482

The National Executive Council of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities is scheduled to hold its meeting in the first week of August, 2022.

Report says, a decision on whether to suspend or continue with the strike which enters its 155th day on Tuesday, 19th July, will be taken at the meeting.

ASUU on Monday, February 14, 2022 embarked on the industrial action over what the union described as the failure of the government to address some of its demands.

The Chairman of ASUU, Federal University of Technology, Minna chapter, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed the planned meeting on Monday, adding that, the meeting would be held either on July 30 or August 1, 2022.

ASUU had cautioned the government against the proliferation of tertiary institutions and the failure to approve the deployment of the Universities Transparency Accountability System.

The union had also insisted on the release of the White Paper of the visitation panels to universities and the release of revitalisation funds for the development of universities, among others.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, recently accused the union of engaging in a lopsided agreement with the Federal Government through the Professor Nimi Briggs committee.

Ahead of the NEC meeting however, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin ruled out the possibility of suspending the strike.

According to him, the government has not brought anything to the table that can lead to such decision.

“We are not even at a point to vote on continuation or not because there is nothing from the Federal Government yet.

“The NEC will be holding its meeting early next month, August . That should be August 1. The meeting might even be on July 30,” he said.

Punch /Taiwo Akinola

Education

Strike: NLC Orders Two-Day Nationwide Protest

By Web News 425

The Nigeria Labour Congress has announced plans to commence a two-day nationwide protest on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in solidarity with the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

This was disclosed in a circular issued to all the state chairmen of the NLC.

The circular signed by the National President of the congress, Ayuba Wabba, partly read, “We bring you fraternal greetings from the national secretariat of the NLC.

“In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council meeting of the NLC held on June 30, 2022, we have scheduled as follows the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.”

According to the circular, the protest would be held on “Tuesday, July 26, 2022, and Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in all the states of the Federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

“Take-off point is the NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja. You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilise workers in the states for this very important protest for good governance,” it added.

It would be recalled that ASUU had embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Punch/Titilayo Kupoliyi

Education

ASUU Says UTAS Adoption Critical to Strike Resolution

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THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has stated that the adoption of a transparent payment platform, University Transparency and Accountability Solutions, UTAS, is critical to resolving the current strike action by the Union.

According to ASUU, UTAS has been proven to be a flawless payment platform but lamented that the deep-rooted penchant for corruption within government ethos are all out to frustrate its deployment.

Chairperson of ASUU, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State chapter, Dr Socrates Ebo, in a statement in Yenagoa, said the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, has been decisively proven to be a porous easily compromised payment platform.

According to Ebo, the IPPIS has been ineffective in curtailing waste of resources, adding that in the contrary it has been used to pad payrolls and used to effect all manner of fraudulent deductions from workers’ salaries.

He said: “We definitely can’t continue this way, the adoption of a transparent payment platform is critical to resolving the current impasse in the nation’s university system. UTAS has been proven to be a flawless payment platform but the deep-rooted penchant for corruption in our government ethos is all out to frustrate its deployment.

“No lecturer under IPPIS can say for certain what his salary is. What we find queer is the insistence of some government officials on the use of IPPIS when it is proven to be compromised and corruption-prone.

“UTAS has been designed to be corruption proof. Why would the government not be interested in a payment platform that is cheap, 100% corruption proof, and 100% indigenous? If IPPIS was corruption proof, how would it be possible for a government accountant to loot N80b plus N70b? How could such huge sums disappear under any serious payment platform?

“The claims of savings by IPPIS are fraudulent. IPPIS arbitrarily cuts workers’ legitimate salaries to cover its heavily corrupt and inefficient tracks to create the false impression of efficiency and savings.

“The recently paid minimum wage arrears are a case study. So many persons have not been paid till date. In my branch alone, 40 persons have not been paid. While the Minister of Labour thinks that we were paid 3 years arrears, what we received was mere 9 months without any clear template on how the payments were made. Nobody knows what they are entitled to, nobody can ask questions to anybody. Even the university bursars can’t explain how the payments were made and what was paid.

“The government should get serious with education in this country. In the 60s and 70s, our universities ranked high among our peers. Scholars all over the world were coming to our universities to teach and study.

“Today, our universities are so dead that even our politicians no longer believe in them. They now send their wards abroad for the same education. Yet these are the people killing education in the country. ASUU is the only bastion of defence for quality education in this country.

“Unfortunately when you destroy education you also destroy healthcare. Doctors are taught new procedures and skills at the universities, not at Aso Rock Clinic or National Assembly. Eventually, everyone gets sick and everyone eventually suffers the consequences of the dearth of educational infrastructure.”

Vanguard/Simeon

News

ASUU Will Call Off Strike Soon- Ngige

By Web News 429

The Federal Government says, the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities would soon be called off.

This was as it said there are no plans to establish an alternative payment platform for all the labour unions in tertiary institutions.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this while fielding questions from State House Correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chambers of the presidential villa, Abuja.

“It will be resolved very soon. It will be resolved and very soon,” Ngige said on Wednesday.

Despite four months into the strike already, he assured Nigerians that efforts were underway to resolve the ongoing dispute largely fueled by payment platforms.

ASUU, which grounded academic activities in Nigerian universities since February 14, 2022, had insisted on the use of its own generated payment platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

It premised its demand on claims that the government-backed Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System was shortchanging its members.

However, the Federal Government, last March, claimed that UTAS was unfit for wide-scale use as it failed three integrity tests. According to Ngige, UTAS only scaled through the user acceptance criteria but performed poorly in stress tolerance and immunity to cyberattacks.

Aside from UTAS, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions also proposed their payment platform: Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System.

Ngige argued that the Federal Government was indeed engaging with ASUU, despite notions that it has been snubbing the union.

He, therefore, revealed that deliberations would resume on Thursday to consider the progress made by the various agencies involved in the months-long negotiations.

Part of those involved is the National Information Technology Development Agency who has run further tests on UTAS and the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System proposed by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Explaining the state of the strike, Ngige said, “To answer your question, ASUU went on strike by February 14. By February 21, I cut short my trip to an African session conference holding in Botswana and we held a conciliation with the employers, the Ministry of Education and the National University Commission.

“As the issue is bordered on money, remunerations, welfare, we did another conciliation meeting inviting the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the Federation, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and again, with their employers on the first of March. After that, it became clear that two cardinal things were still keen: the issue of renegotiation of their welfare package, as in the 2009 agreements. That Agreement says you can review every five years. So that issue stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Then another issue arose in that agreement, the payment platform of University Transparency Accountability Solution, which they say they’ve invented. They said they don’t want to be on IPPIS; that IPPIS was amputating their salaries and taking off certain allowances. No employee or worker can dictate to his employer how he or she will be paid. But the government gave this privilege in consonant with the Executive Orders three and five, for local content development, and I support it.

“So NITDA on their own was doing their test. And when NITDA gave their preliminary results, they said user acceptance was the one that they passed. But the whole thing is a total package of vulnerability, and stress tests. Vulnerability, whether this platform can be hacked into without difficulty or stress, how many people can it carry?

He said deliberations would continue at the State House on Thursday.

“So that’s where they are based on what we call tripartite plus meetings, based on the presidential directive that the Chief of Staff, myself, finance and education find the solution. That meeting was held in the Banquet Hall. We gave an instruction again for them to go back and come back to terms.

“So as I speak to you, as the Arbitrator or Conciliator-in-Chief, I have not gotten back any of the reports from education, from salaries, incomes and wages, nor from ASUU because they’re supposed to report to me. I have not gotten any report. But on the government side, we’re calling up a meeting tomorrow so that everybody on the government side can report if he has a problem, so we know how to address it.”

On the allegation that the government has been snubbing the unions, Ngige said, “It is not true that nobody is talking to ASUU, we are talking to ASUU. Other unions are accusing us of preferential treatment because these other unions have also claimed that they have developed their own payment platform and that they will not use UTAS even if it is good. And they are putting it down in writing and say they have developed their own platform.

“So what the government has done at the last meeting was to say, NITDA, test the three platforms and rate all of them and give us reports. Their term expired last Friday, the time they were given. That’s why we’re calling them to come on Thursday, and brief us.”


Punch/Taiwo Akinola

Education

No Work, No Pay: You can’t force us to resume – ASUU

By Web News 648

The Academic Staff Union of Universities says its members are not beggars and that the stoppage of their salaries by the government won’t force them to call off their strike.

The leadership of the union also commended the members for keeping faith with the union despite the hardship imposed on their families as a result of the No-Work-No-Pay directive of the Federal Government.

Following the failure of the government to meet some lingering demands of the union, ASUU on February 14, 2022 announced a one-month warning strike, followed by another eight-week strike before it eventually commenced its indefinite strike.

The continued strike led to the imposition of No-Work-No-Pay by the Federal Government.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the directive was in compliance with Section 43 of the Labour Law.

Though some of the demands by the union are still undergoing negotiations, the ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed optimism that the union was on the threshold of victory as its resolve has forced the government to engage in negotiations.

He said, “As the struggle continues, our members are commended for their commitment and steadfastness in the patriotic struggle for the survival of the university system in our country.”

“Our members are particularly applauded for keeping faith with the union in spite of the hardship imposed on our families as a result of the stoppage of salaries. They have made the statement loud and clear that we are not beggars and, as a result, hunger is an impotent instrument to break our resolve.”

“Our cast-iron resolve has forced the government to sit down and negotiate with us. We have had five meetings with the Federal Government team and two meetings with the Minister of Education. The renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement is progressing smoothly and has reached an advanced stage.”

“However, we must remain focused to the end of this struggle. UTAS (University Transparency and Accountability Solution) has been tested for the third time. So far, NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency) has tested UTAS and UPS and will start testing IPPIS next week. We are undeterred by the antics of some government officials in this respect.

“We are on the threshold of victory. Let us keep faith with the union. A people united can never be defeated.” Professor Osodeke added

Punch/Maxwell Oyekunle

Education

Strike: ASUU to Sanction Non-Complying Chapters

By Web News 517

Academic Staff Union of Universities has threatened to query universities that have failed to comply with its decision to remain on strike while negotiations with the Federal Government continue.

ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said this in an interview on Monday in Abuja.

ASUU had been on strike for the past five months to press home its demands.

The striking lecturers’ demands include funding of the revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution and promotion arrears.

Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.

Since the union embarked on strike, some of its members have pulled out of the ongoing strike to resume their academic activities.

However, Osodeke said, “We will punish those who have pulled out from our ongoing strike the appropriate way.

“We will ensure we query them and we will follow it up the appropriate way. We have even queried some of them in accordance with the union’s rules.”Osodeke also noted that since the last Tripartite Plus meeting called by the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, on the ongoing industrial action over a month ago, there has been no other meeting.

He said nothing concrete that came out of the last meeting that was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.“We have not been called for any other meeting since that time and the government did not offer us anything, they just asked us to meet with the committee,” he said.

He also said that the union will be meeting with the government within the week.

Punch/Olaolu Fawole

Education

Varsity Unions: FG Renegotiation Committee Sitting Ends Today

By Web News 536

The university unions and Federal Government renegotiation committee sitting will end today.

According to report, the Federal Government on March 7, 2022, inaugurated a seven-person committee tasked with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the other three unions including, The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and The National Association of Academic Technologists.

The committee which was chaired by Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs was given three months to conclude the renegotiation with ASUU and other unions.

According to ASUU and SSANU National Presidents, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke and Mr Mohammed Ibrahim respectively, the Briggs committee has been meeting with the various unions since May 2022 to renegotiate their agreements.

Osodeke said ‘‘There is progress but it depends on the government side. We had a fairly good meeting we are still trying to resolve the issues.

“Until we get the final report from the government.  We are trying to work in the same direction. They are also testing UTAS.’’

It is believed that the committee would submit its report to the FG this week or they could be given an extension.

The Committee, which is expected to review the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Agreement, has the following Terms of Reference, liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders to finalize the position of the Federal Government on the issues in the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Renegotiated Agreement; renegotiate in realistic and workable terms the 2009 Agreements with other University-Based Unions; negotiate and recommend any other issue the Committee deems relevant to reposition the NUC for global competitiveness; submit proposed draft agreements within three months from the date of inauguration.

Likewise, all the unions are presently on strike over unmet demands of the 2009 agreements with the unions.

PUNCH/ Taiwo Akinola

Education

Strike: We Feel your Pains, ASUU Tells Students

By Web News 480

The National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has sympathized with university students over the prolonged strike by the union.

Professor Osodeke made this known in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Ota, while reacting to the N34 billion released by the Federal Government for payment of minimum wage consequential adjustment.

According to reports, ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over improved welfare package, better working conditions and the implementation of various labour agreements signed with the Federal government between 2009 and 2020.

The ASUU president explained that the students were not being punished but paying the price to ensure that Nigeria had a good education system.

“ASUU sympathizes with them, and we believe that with what is going on, if we continue with the struggle, we will have an education system where Nigerian students will have the same lecture rooms with their foreign counterparts,” Osodeke said.

The ASUU president who emphasized that there was no need to call off the strike when government had not attended to their demands therefore, called on the federal government to do the needful as the N34 billion released was not part of their demands.

It would be that the federal government had on Tuesday released the sum of N34 billion for the payment of consequential adjustment for minimum wage of workers in the education system.

NAN /Adebukola Aluko

News

FG moves to end ASUU, poly lecturers strikes, begins arrears payment

By Web News 1128

The Federal Government has commenced the payment of minimum wage arrears, which it owed lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Academic Staff Union of Universities as part of efforts to end ongoing strikes by the unions.

The National President of ASUP, Dr Anderson Ezeibe, and the Chairman, ASUU FUTMinna, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed this in separate interviews with our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday.

According to report, the two unions are currently on strike following the inability of the government to meet their demands including the payment of minimum wage arrears and release of revitalisation funds, among others.

While ASUU commenced its strike on February 14, 2022, ASUP is currently on an initial two-week warning strike.

Confirming the payment on Thursday, Ezeibe, however, said that was just the beginning.

He said, “The government has started responding. They just started paying the salary/minimum wage arrears, the one they have refused to pay.

“However, that is just one of the demands, so we have not reached anywhere. They have not attended to the others, but I can confirm that people have started receiving alerts of the arrears owed.”

Also, Bolarin, said, “Some of my members got alert of their minimum wage arrears; their salaries are still pending.”

Meanwhile, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s management has announced that the school would resume academic activities on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

A circular which was signed by the Registrar of the school, Kayode Ogunleye, partly read, “Upon the directive of the visitor to the university, the management hereby informs all staff and students that the university will continue its academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic session on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

“The amended academic calendar for the session will soon be made available. Staff and students are hereby enjoined to abide by this directive.”

It would be recalled that, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students, Sunday Asefon, on Thursday led university students in Ekiti State to protest continuous closure of public universities in the state over the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU.

Asefon, who said he joined the protest organised by NANS, Joint Campus Committee, Ekiti axis to compel the Federal Government to hearken to the striking university teachers’ demands in solidarity, said, “The rally being planned by NANS national body is coming soon. I decided to join this because I am from Ekiti and I have to partake in solidarity.”

Punch /Taiwo Akinola


News

Meet ASUU demands – NANS tells Federal Government

By Web News 562

Students of various higher institutions in Ekiti State have decried effects of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU on their studies.

The students from the Ekiti State University, EKSU, Bamidele Olumilua University of Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti stated this in Ado Ekiti during a peaceful protest over the prolonged ASUU strike.

The students barricaded all major routes in the state capital which led to traffic jams.

Two of the students, Olaiya Aje and Tope Ogunleye said it was unfortunate the federal government signed agreement it could not implement with ASUU.

They were of the opinion that the strike would have negative impact on them and the Nation’s education system.

They posited that the strike would increase their stay on their varit campuses, thereby having negative impact on their future.

Addressing the students, the president, NationaI Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Mr Sunday Asefon blamed federal government on its failure to meet the demands of the university lecturers.

Mr Asefon made it clear that, the nationwide protest would continue until federal government accedes to the requests of ASUU.

He told the students that they would relocate to the main gate of EKSU on Friday.

Amos Ogunrinde

News

ASUU Strike : Students Barricade Major Roads in Ibadan, Akure

By Web News 560

Students of University of Ibadan, UI, have commenced protest from the University main gate.

The major road linking Sango, Bodija and Ojoo has also been barricaded with police personnel on ground.

As a result, motorists are finding alternate routes.

In a related development, students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) have commenced protest over the prolonged strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the country.

The protesting students barricaded the popular and ever busy Akure-Ilesa-Ibadan expressway this morning, forcing many motorists and travellers to be stranded as at the time of filing this report.

The students stormed the major highway at the main entrance of the Institution, chanting different solidarity songs and clutching placards with various inscriptions such as— “End ASUU Strike”, “Save our future”.

Similarly, some students in Ogun state have blocked the Sagamu-Benin expressway in protest against the ongoing strike action by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The joint protest had in attendance students from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Tai Solarin University of Education, Science and Technology (TASUED), Ijagun and Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta.
The students stormed the TASUED axis and blocked the expressway leaving many motorists stranded and travellers trapped.
The students were carrying placards with inscriptions such as “ #End ASUU strike now#”, “ We say no to educational stagnancy”, “ We are tired of deadlock meetings” and “Education should not be this difficult” among others.
Speaking at the protest ground, the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the state, Comrade Damilola Simeon, appealed to the Federal government to respond urgently to the yearnings of ASUU.
The NANS Chairman stressed that it was high time the Federal government and members of ASUU agreed and reach a comprise to end the strike.
The NANS chairman begged the two parties to do the needful and call off the strike.
The Student Union Government President of TASUED, Don Ayomide , said that the protest was necessary to let both Federal government and ASUU be aware of the plight of the Nigerian students.
He added that the Federal government should endeavor to respect the agreements reached between the two parties, saying that the students were most affected by the current strike.

Bukola Bardi/Wale Oluokun

Crime

ASUU Strike Responsible for Increased Cases of Drug Abuse – Obaseki

By Web News 497

Edo’s Gov. Godwin Obaseki on Friday in Benin blamed increasing rate of drug abuse in the state on the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) strike.

Reviewing the state’s security situation for the months of February, March and April, Gov. Obaseki said Edo recorded 19 drug abuse cases in February, 34 cases in March and 23 cases in April.

“Drug abuse is now number two issue of concern in our state.

“Our analysis shows that there is high rate of consumption of drugs in the last few months.

“This is not unconnected with the ASUU strike which has kept many students at home and idle,’’ the governor said.

The review came after a joint security meeting between the state government and representatives of various security agencies in the state.

“I use the opportunity of this meeting to appeal to ASUU and the Federal Government to do all they can to end this strike as soon as possible.

“This is in the interest of the children so that we do not keep them at home and destroying their lives.

Vanguard / Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

Education

Students Stage Protest, Bemoan Continuos Strike

By Web News 537

Students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State have staged a peaceful protest over the prolonged strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities , ASUU.

The students stormed the major highway at the main entrance of the Institution chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Revitalize our Education” “End ASUU Strike” “Save our future”.

The President of the Students’ Union Government, SUG, Kolade Ogunsanmi bemoaned the continued ASUU strike saying the incessant closure of public universities had retarded the standard of education sector urging both ASUU and Federal Government to come to terms.

A law student, Seyifunmi Adeosun however appealed to the state Governors to intervene because the issue was beyond the Federal Government.

Leke Adegbite

Education

ASUU Strike: Baptist Convention President Calls for Prompt Resolution

By Web News 686

For the upteenth time, the  Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has again extended its ongoing strike by another twelve weeks, making it six months running that students have been off academic work. Reason for the Union’s refusal to call off the strike remains government’s negligence to honour their agreement on issues affecting the academic community.

This lingering crisis with no solution in sight yet is what probably informed the advise by the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr Israel Akanji, to ASUU to also explore other viable means of sustaining the University system.

Dr Akanji gave the advice at a news conference in Ibadan.

“We  believe that the future of our nation rests on quality education and all stakeholders must work together to get it right. We as Christian body will continue to raise our voices in prayer for divine intervention in the quick resolution of the challenges in the country education sector” Dr Akanji said.

The Baptist convention president explained that, such step would put an end to incessant strike, saying that developed nations of the world also seek help  from non-governmental organisations, individuals and society for their survival. 

He appealed to the Federal government and ASUU to come to terms and resolve the impasse so as to stabilise the academic calendar.
On security, Dr Akanji urged government to seek assistance from other countries of the world to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.

He explained that the issue of security had seriously affected the development of Nigeria hence  the need for decisive action from government and prayers from all Nigerians.
“As a Christian denomination, we cannot but look up to God in prayer for help. We strongly advise government at the three tiers of government to organise constant prayers as one of the weapons to Curbing and resolving security challenges in Nigeria.  In the interim, we urge  government to swallow pride and engage international help in various efforts to decapitate terrorist groups in Nigeria”
 Rev Doctor Akanji further appealed to the governor of Kwara state Abdul razak Abdul Rahman to reconsider  his stand on the case of Oyun  Baptist  secondary school ijagbo which was shut down over a hijab controversy.
“It is also expected that other Christian schools in other parts of the state should be allowed the freedom to express their long-standing philosophies of  operation which have contributed immensely to the development of our country”
He said reopening of the school would enable the students to continue with their education and particularly enable the final year students to write their examination
Abisola Oluremi

Education

Tango between ASUU, FG Puts our Future in Jeopardy – Students

By Web News 539

Any hope of a thaw between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and Federal Government was dampened with a further three months strike extension by the Union.

Stung by the persisting stalemate, residents of Ogun State expressed their worries, describing the situation as a grave danger to the sustenance of tertiary education in the country. 

A former chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ogun State chapter, Mr Tomiwa Bamgbose accused both the government and ASUU of insensitivity to the plight of the students, maintaining that the youths had become victims of the industrial crisis. 

When two elephants tango it is the grass that suffers, students who are most affected by the stalemate, described the development as devastating leaving them vulnerable to crime and putting their future in jeopardy. 

In separate remarks, two lecturers, Professor Lai Osho and Dr Soji Fajenyo laid the blame for the strike extension to the Federal Government’s failure to implement the agreement entered into with the union, calling on the need for government to do the needful. 

The lecturers appealed to both ASUU and representatives of the Federal Government to urgently return to the dialogue table to resolve the issue.

Olajumoke Idowu

Education

BREAKING: Again, ASUU Extends Strike By 12 Weeks

By Web News 621

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended the ongoing strike by twelve weeks, the president of the union, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke said on Monday. 

In a statement he issued after the varsity teachers’ meeting held at the University of Abuja, the ASUU president said the decision was to give the government enough time to resolve all outstanding issues with the lecturers.

“After extensive deliberations, noting the Government’s failure to live up to its responsibilities and speedily address all the issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) within the additional eight-week roll–over strike period declared on 14th March 2022, NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for twelve weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues,” the ASUU president’s statement read.

“The roll-over strike action is with effect from 12.01 a.m. on Monday, 9th May 2022.”

Details soon.

Channels/Olaolu Fawole

Education

ASUU Ends Warning Strike

By Web News 762

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has released a statement which says its warning strike will end tomorrow (Monday).

The development comes amidst fear that the stalemate between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government was becoming protracted starting with a one-month warning strike by the union on February 14 this year over the non-implementation of an agreement reached with the government in 2020.

On March 14, ASUU extended the strike by eight weeks citing an unfavourable response on the path of the Federal Government to its demands.

Tola Oguneye/Simeon Ugbodovon

Religion

2023: FG must not interfere with INEC – Most Rev. Okubadejo

By Web News 656

The need for federal government of Nigeria to address the numerous socio-economic challenges confronting the nation forms the focal point of the charge by the Bishop of Ibadan North Anglican Diocese of the Anglican Communion, The Most Reverend, Dr Segun Okubadejo at the 8th Synod of the diocese.

The Most Reverend Okubadejo lamented the high level of insecurity, devaluation of currency fueling inflation, and epileptic power supply in the country.

The cleric who condemned the incessant strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and the lackadaisical attitude of federal government to the demands by the union, denounced borrowing culture of government.

The bishop who is also the Synod President encouraged federal government to encourage domestic small scale industries so as to end continued borrowing.

The Most Reverend Okubadejo said government should provide a level playing ground for the 2023 election by ensuring non-interference into the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The cleric, who commended Oyo State government for prompt payment of workers’ salaries and the implementations of developmental projects in the state, however, challenged the governor over the violent activities of the Park Management System, PMS.

The bishop, who appreciated members of the diocese for his sojourn as the archbishop of three dioceses in Ibadan, urged youths to desist from get-rich-quick syndrome.

In a goodwill message, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Akin Olujinmi said the security crises in the country had reached an alarming state, saying failure to address the menace portend grave danger for the nation.

High point of the event was the launch of the Bishop’s Charge.

The Most Reverend Dr Segun Okubadejo will retire on the 26th of May this year.

Rotimi Famakin

Education

Address ASUU’s Grievances, NLC Tells FG

By Web News 1367

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to address issues that necessitated the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and other unions in tertiary institutions.


President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, made the call when he addressed newsmen shortly before going into a closed door meeting of the Congress’s Central Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday in Abuja.


Wabba said the call was imperative in the interest of the Nigerian children who are from poor homes.
“In Nigeria today, we are facing a period of great injustice on the downtrodden of the society, the worse of it is that for more than three months, the children of the poor are actually at home and this is not acceptable.
“But instead of the politicians to look at the issues as a national disaster, they are discussing politics that is why there can never be equity and justice in such a system.
“As you are aware, we have communicated what we think that would be able to resolve the issue with government.
“Till date, we are yet to receive any formal information of any effort being made by them to look at that recommendation, we made to them,’’ he said.


On the upcoming political dispensation in the country, Wabba called on union leaders to defend democracy and rights of the working class.


According to him, this time around, with what has happened with a lot of broken promises, I do not think any worker or union leader will actually sit down and watch.
“It is not a time to watch, because it is the political decision that will put food on your table, so therefore sitting down and wait or watch certainly will not be our portion.
“Every Nigerian worker must be active to use our “charter of demand’’ to engage the politicians.
“We must try also to make sure that the agenda of the working class, the poor and the downtrodden finds space to be accommodated even in the political process,’’ he said.


The NLC president further said the CWC meeting would look at the next step to take if the government fail to respond to its recommendation on resolving the ongoing strike by unions in the tertiary institutions.


He also said the CWC would also look at key issues of the economy, major roles to bring about peace and respect to the sanity of collective bargaining in the education sector, among others.


ASUU embarked on a nationwide warning strike to press home its members’ demands on February 14 this year.


The lecturers’ demands include; funding of the Revitalisation of Public Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.


Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).


Vanguard/Simeon Ugbodovon

Economy

ASUU Strike: Agree with Unions- NLC tells FG 

By Web News 583

The Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, has urged the Federal Government to respect the Collective Bargaining Agreements entered into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other unions in the tertiary institutions in the country.

The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made the call in Abuja.

According to him, millions of Nigerian university students, especially those attending public citadels of higher learning,  celebrated Easter outside the precincts of their campuses.

“It is tragic that the majority of the affected students are children from poor homes whose parents cannot afford to pay the outrageous fees charged by private universities.
There is no sadder premiere of the Social Apartheid in our society than the intermittent and protracted strike actions in our public universities,’’ he said.

Mr Wabba therefore, added “we demand respect for Collective Bargaining Agreements signed with unions in our tertiary institutions and other sectors “.
The NLC president also noted that, many workers in Nigeria are yet to enjoy the national minimum wage almost four years after it was signed into law, noting that Cross River, Taraba and Zamfara are the states yet to implement the national minimum wage.
Culled/Taiwo Akinola

Education

Acceptance of UTAS by Govt will end Strike – ASUU

By Web News 461

Lagos Zone Coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr. Laja Odukoya, says the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the union will not end until federal government accept the alternative payment platform developed by the union.
The Zonal Coordinator while speaking with Radio Nigeria in Abeokuta on the ongoing efforts to resolve the impasse said the test being conducted on the integrity of the University transparency and Accountability Solutions by the government agency was being politicized.
Dr. Odukoya alleged that the union was being victimized for opposing the professorship conferred on the supervising minister of the National Information Technology Development Agency by a University in the country.
The ASUU Zonal Coordinator who noted the need for stakeholders to salvage the country’s educational sector from collapse also insisted that the outstanding 2009 agreement with the government was the main reason for the strike and should be addressed by the federal government.

Wale Oluokun

Education

Strike: FG, ASUU Set for Meeting

By Web News 495

The Federal Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, is set to meet with the Academic Staff Union of Universities today, Monday, April 11, 2022.

The meeting which is scheduled to commence by 5 O’clock this evening will have in attendance representatives of the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Patience Onuobia, in a notice of meeting sent to journalists on Monday, said Dr Ngige will chair the meeting himself.

“The Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, will be meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities today by 5 pm,” the notice read.

Punch/Oluwayemisi Owonikoko