Delta To Introduce Boarding System In Schools, Says Okowa

... Commissions More Projects

DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has said boarding system will be introduced in some of the schools in the state from next academic session.

The Governor dropped the hint yesterday (14/06/16) at Ofagbe, Isoko North local government area of the state while commissioning the rebuilt Ofagbe Technical College, Ofagbe as part of activities lined up to celebrate his one year in office.

The Governor also, commissioned Eni Primary School, Ellu and inspected the on-going construction work of Owheologbo/Abbi road project, also in Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.
According to Governor Okowa, his administration was not going to compromise technical education off the youths of the state which will enable them to be future entrepreneurs and employers of labour.
It is on record that to encourage skill acquisition, shortly after assumption of duty in 2015, Governor Okowa awarded the contract to reconstruct three technical schools into the state, viz: the technical school at Ofagbe, Sapele and Agbor.

"We need to re-equip our schools after providing the physical structures, we need to establish the boarding facilities from the next academic session," the Governor said, stating, "technical education is one of our cardinal programmes because, they afford our youths the opportunity to acquire skills and be employers of labour in future."

He added, "we require this school and many other schools in the state to develop skills of our youths who will in turn, provide employment for our children in the future."

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in the state, Mr Chiedu Ebie at the occasion, said, "now that Ofagbe Technical College has been repositioned as a world class institution through massive infrastructural upgrades and refurbishment by the state government, there comes the time for the entire Ofagbe Community to reciprocate this kind gesture through community participation to secure and protect the school from vandalism and theft."

In a related development, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has commissioned the rehabilitated cum constructed Kefas/Old Emede/Uzere road, Oleh in Isoko South local government area of Delta State amidst pomp and pageantry.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Okowa assured Deltans, particularly, the Isoko people of more people-oriented programmes, observing that the contractor handling section C of Ughelli/Asaba road dualization project has been mobilized to site.
He used the occasion to appeal to warring communities in Isoko to embrace peace, saying, "I want to advise the youths of Emede and Igbide to embrace peace, I don't think if a man kills a fellow brother, he will be applauded for it, the killing of another brother will not make the land to be your own, it is time for us to talk to ourselves."

The Governor urged elders to always give information to security agents to nip security challenges in the bud, reiterating, "let us be wise, let us be cautious, let us live in peace with our neighbours."

He charged the elders of the communities to cooperate with the Committee set up by the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Itiako Ikpokpo and help ensure peace in the area stressing "It is wrong for the elders in this area to hide the identity of those youths perpetuating this evil, they should contribute to ensuring the maintenance of peace and cooperate with the committee set up by the council chairman Hon. Itiako lkpokpo to look into the crisis and l hope that a lasting solution will be found so that my administration can continue with its vision for the development of Isoko land."

President-General of Isoko Development Union (IDU), High Chief Iduh Amadhe at the occasion, said, "Your Excellency, we express our appreciation for your magnanimity towards the Isoko nation, we will remember you for making the best out of a difficult situation by completing the DELSU, Oleh Campus Access Road, completion and commissioning of the DELSU, Oleh Campus Law Faculty Complex, and on-going efforts by your administration at ensuring the accreditation of courses for Law and Engineering Faculties at the Oleh Campus of the DELSU, upgrading and improvement of physical structures of the Ofagbe Technical College and the Owhe-Ologbo/Abbi road construction work which is on-going."

The President-General thanked Governor Okowa for, "the rehabilitation of the old Oleh/Emede road, widening of the shoulders of the road from the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro to Notre Dame College, Ozoro, renovation of many primary schools in Isoko land, construction of the road leading to to the Anglican Grammar School, Iyede and the resurfacing of Otovo and other streets in Iyede; the recent approval for the construction of the Isoko Unity House which when completed, shall be pride and rallying point for every Isoko man and the oneness of purpose of the Isoko ethnic nationality.

Read More

JAMB – 1.4m Candidates To Write Computer-based UTME In March

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Wednesday said that at least 1.4 million candidates nationwide would write the 2015 All Computer Base Test (CBT) on March 4.

According to Fabian Benjamin, JAMB Public Relations Officer, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the board would be migrating all to computer-based mode of examination for the first time.

“I want to say that we are expecting no fewer than 1.4 million candidates that will be attempting the examination in all computer-based mode of examination, commencing from this year,” Benjamin said.

“We are also happy to announce that we also have enough centres that will match the number of candidates that will be writing the examination.

“We have gone round to all the centres to assess the level of preparedness of the centres we intend to use for the examination and that they have all met the standard.

“I can assure that JAMB is fully ready for take-off of the examination as all logistics to ensure a successful outcome of the examination are fully on ground.

“We urge candidates to be fully prepared, avail themselves of the opportunity of practising with the computer on their own.

“There is nothing strange about writing the examination through this mode and their normal telephone usage,” Benjamin said.

He therefore urged public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to invest in CBT by way of building and equipping more centres.

He disclosed that even the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and other examination bodies would soon migrate to the computer-based examination mode.

“There is no going back on the issue of CBT for examination as a body, so we are optimistic that soon this will apply to other sister examination bodies.

“One thing we are currently excited about on our own as a board is that currently, we have commenced exporting the CBT technology for examination to other parts of the world.

“Recently, we were in Ghana where we educated them on the conduct of the CBT mode of our examination.

“The registrar had also visited other African countries and Europe to educate them on the conduct and success of this mode of examination and I think this is quite laudable,” Benjamin said.

Read More

Lagos Takes Education To Students On Facebook, Twitter

The Lagos State government and the Lagos State University has partnered to launch an electronic-learning and social media project in Lagos State, as part of efforts to aid secondary school students’ performance in school leaving examinations.

The project called “LASG-LASU E-learning and Social Media Project,” is expected to leverage on the wide adoption of the internet, mobile phones as well as social media among students, to take education closer to them.

Speaking at the project launch, held in the Faculty of Education, Lagos State University (LASU), the Project Manager, Professor Peter Okebukola, said the project was aimed at presenting difficult topics in the secondary school curriculum in a learner friendly manner, using e-learning and social media protocols.

According to him, the project would “significantly boost the performance of Lagos State secondary school students in school and public examinations, especially the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) and the United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by JAMB.”

The project, which is expected to start fully on January 19, is targeted at six key subjects – English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Commerce.

Read More

Model School Admission: Why We Asked Pupils To Pay N10,000 Each – Lagos Govt.

The Lagos State Government, Thursday said that the payment of N10,000 by primary six pupils seeking admission into model colleges/upgraded junior secondary schools was administrative charges.

According to Jide Lawal, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Education, the money was not for the pilot Computer-Based Testing (CBT) as claimed by some people.

“Our attention has been drawn to the objections of both the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) to the amount charged for the screening test.

“We wish to state categorically that the payment of N10, 000 for the screening tests is not a new thing as that has always been the practice for the past years.

“Hence, one begins to question the motive behind the objections of the two groups.

“It is pertinent to point out that the fee cannot in any way bring hardships to parents as the screening tests into model colleges/upgraded colleges are for parents who wish to have their children and wards in boarding schools,” Lawal said.

Read More

JAMB Approves 30 CBT Centres In Lagos For 2015 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it had approved 30 computer-based centres for the 2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Lagos State.

Lagos Coordinator of the Board, Dr Beatrice Okorie said that the development was a great improvement over the previous years when there were only five centres.

She disclosed this when asked about the board’s level of preparedness ahead of next year’s matriculation examination slated for March 4, 2015.

The board, had during the 2014 examination which comprised the Paper Pencil, Computer Based and the Dual Based modes, declared that it was migrating fully to an all computer based test, reports the News Agency of Nigeria. Now, the coordinator said that about 30 fully equipped centres had been approved for the conduct of the examination.

“Preparations are in top gear for next year’s matriculation examination. Everything is going as planned.

“We have been visiting various centres around the state to inspect what are on ground.

“So far, we are satisfied with about 30 centres that have been able to meet our requirements as they will ensure the smooth take off of the conduct of the examination.

“We will also like to say that more centres are still going to be approved and a case where there is an outright absence of the backups or the capacity for the existing ones are below expectation, we will advise for an immediate installation or a replacement.

Okorie said that there was no going back from the full migration to the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.

Read More

JAMB Alerts Public On Fake UTME E-facility Cards In Lagos

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Monday alerted the public on reports of fake Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) e-facility cards in circulation in Lagos.

Alhaji Kamaldeen Oladeji, the Coordinator of the Board in Lagos, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Oladeji said that the board’s annex in Lagos had been informed that some persons were selling fake e-facility cards for the board’s 2014 UTME.

“I want to seize this opportunity to sensitise the public of this ugly development.

“Some candidates have reported the purchase of fake e-facility cards to the JAMB National Headquarters Annex at No. 11, Ojora Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

“The candidates said they bought the fake e-facility cards from vendors at the Lagos State University (LASU) and around Ikotun and Sango-Ota.

“The e-facility card provides the PIN for access to print the original UTME result slip and the JAMB admission letter.

“The candidates complained of the e-facility cards not only being sold, but also sold at more than the quoted purchase price of N1,000,” he said.

Oladeji added that the e-facility card was only available for sale to the public at the board’s offices nationwide.

He warned that any vendor found selling the e-facility cards outside the board’s offices nationwide would face the wrath of the law. [NAN]

Read More

ASUU Suspends Strike After 5 Months

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its over five months old strike.

ASUU Chairman, University of Lagos Chapter, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka told Channels Television that the union decided to suspend the strike after a marathon meeting held in Minna, Niger State capital on Monday.

In attendance at the meeting, which ran till late in the evening, were all the ASUU branch chairmen and secretaries, the national executive members of the body, coordinators and past leaders, including 56 members from 52 universities.

Dr. Ogbinaka said that, in line with procedures, the different chapters of ASUU would hold congress meetings on Wednesday to inform members and managements of the institutions of the latest development.

“We expect the students to resume and expect their members to go back to class immediately after the congress meeting and we expect the government to keep to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),” Dr. Ogninaka stated.

He said that the union and the government would hold meetings in 2014 to look at gray areas that may arise and come to a common ground.

The Federal Government and ASUU had reached a compromise during a negotiation brokered by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar on Wednesday, December 11, which led to the signing of the MoU.

Speaking to journalists after the agreement with the government on Wednesday, the National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, said that the union would consult with its National Executive Council and would intimate Nigerians of its decision on the strike within one week, expressing optimism that the outcome of the consultation would be positive.

It was gathered that the MoU addressed all the resolutions that the leadership of the ASUU and the Federal Government agreed to in their 13-hour meeting with President Jonathan on November 4, as well as their widely criticised fresh demands.

ASUU’s demands include the upward review of the retirement age for professors from 65 to 70; adequate funding to revitalise the university system; progressive increase of budgetary allocations to the education sector by 26%; transfer of Federal Government property to universities; setting up of research and development units by the companies; and renegotiation of the signed agreement.

The fresh demands include a non-victimisation clause, provision and deposit of N200 billion infrastructure revitalisation funds in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) details of disbursement of the funds and payment of salary arrears which has accrued to the teachers during the strike.

The Wednesday agreement between the two which is reportedly due for renegotiation in 2014 was reached barely 24 hours after the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe presented a proof of payment of N200 billion into an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Nigeria’s university lecturers have been on strike since July 1, 2013 to demand full implementation of the 2009 agreement it reached with the Federal Government on conditions of service for university lecturers, and funding of infrastructural development in Nigerian universities.

Read More

ASUU set to end strike today

ASUU president, Fagge

There are strong indications that the strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since July 1, will be called off today.

Feelers from a meeting by the National Executive Council of ASUU held at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State on Monday indicated this.

 Though no official of the union was ready to confirm this, a source, who attended the meeting, said members of the union’s negotiating team had agreed to call off the strike.

According to the source, the National President of the union, Dr. Nasir Fagge, will address members of the press today at noon where he is likely going to announce the suspension of the strike.

The source spoke to one of our correspondents at 12.50am today.

But before then another source at the meeting had confided in one of our correspondents as of 10pm that the NEC members comprising all the branch chairmen of ASUU and zonal coordinators were still deliberating on the issue.

The source said, “The meeting is still ongoing. No decision has been reached, but an official position of the union would be issued by the President the moment we are through with the meeting.”

 The leadership of the union had last week after a meeting with the Federal Government representatives in Abuja, promised to end the strikewithin a week.

This came after the Federal Government provided evidence that it had domiciled N200bn in the Central Bank of Nigeria for the provision of infrastructure in the nation’s public universities among other sundry issues.

Meanwhile, journalists who gathered at the venue to cover the outcome of the meeting were harassed by some ASUU officials who called them unprintable names.

In fact, one of the ASUU officials was heard shouting, “Who invited these stupid people here?”

The Chairman, ASUU, FUT, Minna, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, particularly assaulted the Daily Trust Correspondent, Aliyu Hamagan.

Jimoh had earlier thought Hamagan was a member of the union and invited him to come closer. He then asked, “Who brought this stupid people inside? What are they doing here?”

Hamagan quickly responded by saying, “I am one of the people you are calling stupid. I will not have you insult us like  that.”

Abdulfatai on finding out that he was speaking with a journalist pushed Hamagan and asked him to leave the premises saying that, “You people are intruding, we did not invite you, get out of this place now.”

The meeting started about 11:30am.

Read More

FG/ASUU sign agreement, varsities to reopen soon

After five months and 10 days that the public universities have been on strike, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Wednesday finally signed a fresh  agreement.

The fresh pact is the review of the Federal Government/ASUU 2012 Memorandum of Understanding reached on the 2009 agreement.

Both parties, however, refused to reveal the details of the agreement to journalists who witnessed the signing of the agreement.

The meeting was almost boycotted by the union until the intervention of stakeholders.

ASUU had on Tuesday vowed not to attend the meeting because there was no commitment and proper invitation from the government.

The union had demanded for proof of the payment of the N200bn into a Central Bank of Nigeria account for public universities, non-victimisation clause, review of the agreement in 2014 and that a representative of government, preferably the Attorney-General of the Federation to sign the agreement as conditions to call off the strike which began on July 1.

Our correspondent, however, gathered that the union got three of its demands while it relinquished one to the government.

The Federal Government agreed to present evidence of payment, implement the non-victimisation clause and that the agreement was open to re-negotiation in 2014.

But it was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala, who signed the agreement on behalf of the government contrary to the demand of the union.

ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Faggae, signed on behalf of the union while the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar, signed as a witness to the agreement.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who presided over the meeting, said there was “no victor no vanquished” in the dispute.

He said the Federal Government was alive to its responsibility to restore normalcy to the university system.

Wike argued that government only directed the vice-chancellors of federal universities to immediately reopen the universities for academic activities pending when other minor discrepancies would be sorted out.

“Today, I am very pleased to announce that all contending issues between ASUU and the Federal Government have been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties.

“Let me emphasise that we recognise and appreciate ASUU’s patriotic role and commitment towards ensuring that our universities are well-funded, resourced and run like their counterparts in other parts of the world.

“Thus, we are all partners in progress and there is no victor; no  vanquished in the struggle of this nature for as long as our goals remain noble, not actuated by parochial interests, but targeted at moving our nation forward.”

The minister on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan thanked Nigerians, the National Assembly, the labour unions, traditional rulers, parents and students for showing understanding.

In his response, Faggae commended the President for his intervention in the dispute.

He, however, stressed that the strike could not have lingered if government had agreed to document the agreement reached with the union.

“If what we have agreed with Mr. President at that 13-hour meeting had been judiciously documented and our members were convinced that it was going to be implemented, we wouldn’t have waited this while because we also have a lot of respect for the office of Mr. President and that of the Vice-President.

“But you see our members are intellectuals, I keep saying this. It is simply because  over the years particularly since the signing of the 2009 agreement we have been pursuing government to get that agreement implemented.

“We rarely succeeded in getting a portion of that agreement implemented by the government. Here we are, we have gone for about four years but it is never too late to turn a new page  and make sure we do what is right with our universities.”

Faggae said the country must place high premium on education if it hoped to catch up with developed world.

Faggae who said the decision to call-off the strike lied with the National Executive Council of the union, promised that the message would be delivered within one week for a final decision on the strike.

“We would now take this document to our members and we are confident that our members will do the appropriate thing.

“It was a sacrifice that was worth taking to ensure that we do what is right for our country,” he added.

In an interview, Faggae said ASUU would make its position known to government “within one week.”

Read More

ASUU strike: FG makes U-turn

Nasir Fagge and Goodluck Jonathan

The Presidency said on Monday it was no longer interested in the December 9  deadline  it handed over to the striking university  teachers  to return to work.

Rather, it said it was satisfied with the lecturers’  level of compliance with  the  directive to them  to resume work or be sacked.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said this while briefing journalists on the payment of the N200bn by the Federal Government into the “Revitalisation of Universities Infrastructure” account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Okupe’s claim of “substantial compliance” was however described as  total falsehood by the Academic Staff Union of Universities leadership, which also said it would not attend a meeting on Wednesday(today)  with the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and vice-chancellors on  the University Needs Assessment Report Implementation Committee.

Okupe had  told journalists   that  the Federal Government  was soft pedalling on the threat to sack the defiant ASUU members  because  many senior citizens and institutions had intervened.

He said that as of Sunday evening, government had reports that   there was substantial compliance by many lecturers   with the directive.

The Presidential aide  added that   the development  encouraged  the  government   to mellow down on its earlier tough stance.

He cited the University of Lagos as  an   example  of  a public university  where   in  the   Faculties of Law, Arts and Science,  out of 100  lecturers,  “ between  60 and 70 signed up to resume work.”

The trend, according to him,  was replicated   in “virtually all the universities in the country, including the Obafemi Awolowo  University and University of  Ibadan.”

Okupe  said, “The ultimatum is not a matter for discussion anymore. I told you, there has been substantial compliance nationwide. If I say you must return to work on the 9th and 70 per cent of the people that I am talking to have returned to work, that is substantial compliance.

“What becomes of the remaining 30 per cent  who did not return to work, these are issues that we do not want to stop the wheel of progress in sorting out this resolution. We are not interested in a witch-hunt;  we are more interested in compliance and in the resolution of the crisis.

“Many senior Nigerians, institutions and organisations, including labour unions such as the Nigerian Labour Congress  and the Trade Union Congress,  as well as  royal fathers have intervened and have pleaded with  the government to soft pedal on the issue of  ultimatum.”

Asked if  the government was serious about the ultimatum in the first place, he  replied  “Yes.”

Okupe   explained  that the  government was    forced to issue  the ultimatum because every other avenue to end the strike had been explored to no avail.

 He said, “I said it before that governments worldwide, when pushed to the wall take  steps that may be draconian but sometimes, they have to be taken in order to protect the citizens and the states they govern.”

The Presidential aide  accused the media of presenting  the  strike  as if the Federal Government and ASUU were in a face-off.

He said, “There is no face-off between the  government and ASUU.

“ASUU may be grandstanding but the  government is more interested in the resolution than in any form of confrontation with any union whatsoever.

“Our interest is to ensure good governance, orderliness and peaceful coexistence nationwide and among all sectors of the economy and that education is not left behind.”

While giving further evidence that   the N200bn had been paid, Okupe released  a copy of the letter written by the Deputy Governor of CBN, Mr. Tunde Lemo,  to the Accountant General of the Federation, to journalists.

The letter, with reference GVD/DGO/GEN/MPA/05/151 and dated December 10, 2013, reads in part, “Confirmation of the execution of your mandates for the credit of account No: 00200xx522, Revitalisation of Universities Infrastructure Account.

“I write to confirm the execution of the following mandates by the CBN for funding of the above mentioned account as follows:

1. Mandate FDL/LP201340/1/30/DF: N129,300,000,000:00

2. Mandate FD/FA/124/Vol X11/120/1DF: N20,700,000,000:00

3. Mandate FD/LP2013/40/1/DF :N50,000,000,000:00

“I wish to further confirm  that the available balance in the aforementioned account is N200bn  (two hundred billion naira) only.

 “Please accept the assurances of my best regards.”

With this, Okupe said there was  no  need  for  the continuation of the strike.

He said the President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge,  had  assured  last Thursday that if there was proof of payment of the sum,    the strike would be called off immediately.

 Okupe said, “I hereby show the proof of payment to all Nigerians, not only to ASUU and to let the people know that when we say that this administration has no credibility issue, we mean it.

“We have kept our cool; we have taken a lot of insults and all that and things that were disparaging but we are glad to show this proof that this has been done as we said.”

Read More

We’re waiting for sack letters, say defiant lecturers

National President, ASUU, Nasir Issa-Fagge

Striking lecturers in the nation’s public universities on Monday made good their decision not to return to work as directed by the Federal Government.

The striking teachers also refused to sign the attendance registers in their respective institutions as ordered by the government.

They said they were only waiting for the sack letters the Federal Government threatened to give them if they did not return to work.

In many of the universities visited by our correspondents, only administrative offices opened for business while the lecture rooms were empty. Particularly, lecturers’ offices remained shut.

Among some of the universities visited by our correspondents were the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Calabar, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, and the University of Uyo.

Others are Obafemi Awolwo University, Ile-Ife, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had urged the striking lecturers to return to work or on before December 9 or risk being sacked.

But the leadership of ASUU had remained unfazed by the FG’s directive and threat. They accused the government of insincerity in the resolution of the face-off.

At the NAU, Awka on Monday, though some of the lecturers were on campus, they did not teach. The institution’s Faculty of Social Sciences, for instance, had its classrooms and laboratories shut.

The hostels were opened but students had yet to return to the campus.

At UI, only a few lecturers were on the campus. They neither taught nor signed the attendance register.

The institution’s chapter of ASUU earlier in the day had sent a message to its members, urging them to be calm and resolute in their demands.

The National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr. Ademola Aremu, said they would have wasted their time and effort if they caved in and returned to work under threat.

He said, “How can you call off a strike when there is nothing to show for it? The government is not qualified to call off the strike. Our union is awaiting the government to state all it has done in black and white. However, it is a serious insult on us for the government to be harassing us with sacking threat. We are not casual workers or labourers. Our research work has been ongoing.”

Also, at UNICAL and at the Cross River University of Science and Technology, students and their teachers stayed away from the schools.

The UNICAL ASUU Chairman, Dr. James Okpiliya, insisted that the Federal Government must meet the lecturers’ demands before the strike could be suspended.

Lecturers also shunned work at OAU even though  a few of the students were on the campus.

One of our correspondents observed that many of the students who returned to campus were those residing within Ife and its environs.

The Chairman of ASUU at the university, Prof. Adegbola Akinola, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said that the strike was still on.

He said, “Our union did not close the universities, what we did was to withdraw teaching services and they will remain withdrawn until the government properly documents the agreement reached with us on November 4, 2013.”

Lectures did not also hold at ABU. The two campuses of the institution at Samaru and Kongo had only a negligible human presence as of Monday.

Lecturers’ offices and lecture halls were shut, just as the students did not show up as directed by the government.

ASUU Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Kabir-Aliyu, told journalists that they had yet to call off the action.

The UNIJOS ASUU chapter Chairman, Dr. David Jangkam, said striking teachers in the university were just waiting for their sack letters from the Federal Government.

Jangkam said, “We are waiting for their sack letters. Any government that is toying with education is not worth its salt. We expect firm commitment in solving the issues, but if the government is playing to the gallery, it is very unfortunate.”

When our correspondent visited the various departments, only a few departments had opened registers as demanded by the governing council.

There were no studies too at UNIUYO, UNIJOS, FUNAAB, LASU and UNILAG as lecturers boycotted classes.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, urged the striking teachers to call off the industrial action.

The President, who spoke at the All Nigerian Judges Conference organised by the National Judicial Council in Abuja, on Monday, said the industrial action would prevent the country from achieving the Vision 2020 target of becoming one of the top 20 economies in the world by 2020.

Although the Federal Government had recently threatened to sack the lecturers for going on strike, Jonathan noted that ASUU had the right to embark on the industrial action.

He said, “This administration recognises and respects the right of workers, including the right to embark on industrial action to press home their demand and have taken concrete steps to address the grievances of ASUU.

“I therefore use this occasion to call on ASUU to call off its strike.”

“With this Nigeria’s quest to become one of the world’s 20th  largest economies by the year 2020 cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of industrial disharmony.

“Nigeria’s geopolitical history has been characterised by incessant labour dispute and industrial action.

“While views may differ on the utility of industrial action as a means of advancing the collective interest of workers in the polity, it is an unassailable fact that labour and industrial harmony is sine qua non to the socio-economic development of any nation, Nigeria inclusive.”

Read More

FG not sincere, strike continues –ASUU

National President, ASUU, Nasir Issa-Fagge

PUBLIC university lecturers on Sunday insisted  that they would not return to the classrooms  on Monday (today).

They also accused the Federal Government of insincerity in its bid to resolve its dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, confirmed this on Sunday via a Short Message Service  to an enquiry by The PUNCH.

The Federal Government had through the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie,  deferred its earlier ultimatum to the lecturers to resume work on Monday (today) or risk being sacked. The shift  was to enable them to participate in the burial of Prof. Festus Iyayi, a former president of ASUU on Saturday.

Before this , the Supervising  Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had advised  the striking lecturers to return to work on or before December 4 or face dismissal.

But ASUU had in a news bulletin to its chapters  after its  meeting in Ekpoma, Edo State on Sunday,  said   the Federal Government had not met its  conditions for suspending the over five months’ strike.

When asked by one of our correspondents   if  the members of the union would go back to work today and if they had confirmed the N200bn the Federal Government claimed to have deposited in a special account at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Fagge simply  replied, “No to both questions.”

ASUU  had in the bulletin insisted that the government threat to sack its members would not break the union’s resolve  to pursue its action to a logical conclusion.

A source privy to the meeting, said, “No Jupiter will force us to go and teach until all the agreements are documented. The Federal Government is not sincere. If indeed the authorities have agreed, why will they be afraid to document what has been agreed upon?

“Let the vice-chancellors, who can teach, go and do so. But our members are determined not to sign any attendance register tomorrow (today). The threat does not bother us, as truth will always supercede deception, lies and any form of intimidation.”

The ASUU National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu, who also spoke with  one of our correspondents, confirmed that the lecturers would not return to work until the  government met their demands.

He said, “Our position has not changed because we are still on strike. When we met President Goodluck Jonathan, we had a number of agreements but when the Presidency communicated to us, we noticed some gaps. We have written to the government on our observations but up till now, it has not responded.

“The only response from government representatives was the accusation against us that we are making new demands. This was after the letter we wrote to the government was exposed to the whole world.

“ASUU is not asking for anything new;  what we are saying is that government should perfect the documentation binding the agreement we had with it. We know the agreement we had with the government and we will stand by it.”

Aremu also accused the government of inconsistency with the shift in ultimatum, noting that it was playing politics with the death of Iyayi.

He added, “The government did not play any role in the burial of Iyayi, who died in the struggle. The Federal Government would have been more responsive instead of threatening our members with sacking. The military used this system and it did not work. Why will it work in a democratic environment? I don’t think any right thinking government will use threat to achieve peace.”

On government’s claim that it was ready to pay salaries owed the striking teachers who returned to work, Aremu said the decision was a  part of  the  ploy not to make things work in the education sector.

He added, “This government does not want things to work at all. We wrote to the government that we noticed some gaps but instead of writing us back to clear issues, it began to use threat as a weapon. I don’t think anyone who is worth the certificate he is using as a lecturer will panic because of four months’ salaries. You only treat casual workers in such way and not people with intellectual endowment. ASUU members are not casual workers so the  position of   Okojie will not shake us.”

The Chairman of the University of Abuja chapter, Dr. Clement Chup, also described the threat as “an empty one.”

He said, “We are still waiting for the government to respond to our letter; until that is done, the strike continues.

“When the December 4 deadline was given, I said ‘I dey laugh because I knew it would not work.’ Now that they have extended it, ‘I still dey laugh’ because it will still not work. Because you (Federal Government) are not ready to honour  an agreement and you will begin to threaten people with sacking; it doesn’t work that way.”

His Nasarawa State University, Keffi, counterpart, Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said, “It is only the National Executive Council of the ASUU that could take the decision to suspend the strike.”

He said lecturers in the school would stay away from the classrooms since the NEC of ASUU  had yet to suspend the strike.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Okojie, had last Tuesday, claimed that the Federal Government had deposited the N200bn promised as funding to universities in an account with the CBN.

The amount is for renewal of infrastructure in the nation’s public universities.

But the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Education, Simeon Nwakaudu, expressed optimism that many lecturers would resume work today.

He said, “By tomorrow (today), we will know where we go from there. Let us wait and see what happens. Many ASUU members have contacted their respective vice-chancellors and indicated their readiness to work.”

Meanwhile, the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Chris Uyot, on Sunday, said the leadership of the NLC would hold a crucial meeting with the leaders of ASUU on Monday (today).

Read More

Senator Adokwe offers free JAMB registration to 1,000 candidates in Nasarawa state

Sen. Suleiman Adokwe (PDP – Nasarawa South) has purchased 1,000 JAMB forms for distribution free to indigent candidates in the state.

The lawmaker told the News Agency Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lafia that the forms would be given to 1,000 less privileged students whose parents could not afford to buy the JAMB forms for the 2013/2014 season.

He explained that 200 students would benefit from each of the five local governments in the senatorial district.

They are Lafia, Awe, Keana, Obi and Doma.

According to him , the offer is the second phase of the scheme which commenced last year with 500 students.

Adokwe said that apart from the free JAMB registration, six Internet centres were opened across the senatorial district for free WAEC registration.

“The scheme is expected to assist students to realise their dreams and cushion the financial burden of parents that cannot afford the exams fee.

“Education, which is the life wire for the development of any society, requires the contribution of wealthy individuals for the nation to move forward.”

Adokwe said that the gesture would give sons and daughters of the less privileged from the area an equal opportunity to further their education.

He said that education should not be left in the hands of government alone, adding that the sector required the contribution of all and sundry for the country to move to greater height.(NAN)

Read More

"Our Education Policy Not Against Any Religion" – Osun Gov

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has again said that the reclassification of schools by his administration is not aimed at obliterating the Christian heritage or the legacies of any other group.

It was made known in the capital of the Osun State, Osogbo, on Wednesday at the opening of the 23rd state congress of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools.

It should be mentioned that Aregbesola has been criticized, especially from the Osun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, for merging male pupils and hijab-wearing pupils with those in Christian’s mission public schools.

CAN accused the governor of planning to obliterate the legacies of Christian missionaries in the state with the policy and demanded that the policy be reversed or schools be returned to their owners.

However, the governor claimed that his action was primarily aimed at addressing the decay in the education sector without any religious motive.

He said, “We merged schools not because we want to silence any group, destroy cherished legacies or to unduly favour any religious or social group above another."

According to him, the goal of the policy is to deploy their resources evenly and justly across our public schools.

The President of ANCOPSS in Osun State, Mrs. Motunrayo Olagunju, who favoured the new policy, warned the people of the state against politicizing education.

Read More

Is FG Winning? Ebonyi State University Resumes Academic Activities

One day before the FG's ultimatum to ASUU expires, academic activities have resumed at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki Recommencement of activities have followed a directive requesting the lecturers to the return to work issued the authorities of the university.

Lecturers of the university as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had participated in the strike.

News Agency of Nigeria's (NAN's) correspondents visited the university on Tuesday and reported that lectures were going on in virtually all departments at the three campuses of the institution.

Students of the Department of Animal Sciences and Law Faculty, affirmed that they received lectures in the morning.

"We have started lectures since last week, even now we just received lectures but I don’t know
about other departments," Okechukwu Mbam, a second year agric science student said.

A Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, who wanted to stay anonymous, revealed that lectures commenced last week at the institution, adding that students were gradually returning.

"We came back to school based on the directive of the school management even before the Federal Government’s directive," he added.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Francis Idike, said the resumption of activities was in the interest of both students and staff.
On November 28, the FG gave ASUU's lecturers one week ultimatum to call off strike or they will be sacked and their positions will be announced vacant as from Wednesday, December 4.

Read More

ANOTHER BREAKAWAY: UNIPORT Pulls Out Of The Ongoing ASUU Strike!

The University of Port Harcourt has Finally Uniport has Pulled out of the Strike.
Returning Students are Expected on Campus on the 8th of December 2013 and lectures begins on the 9th of December.

Thanks to the University Senate for this Decision.

Read More

ASUU STRIKE: AAUA Begins Lectures

The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko [AAUA] in Ondo State, yesterday partially commenced lectures as majority of the students have resumed for their second semester.

Journalist who visited the campus has reported that some departments have commenced teaching already.
It was learnt that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko personally monitored the classes to ensure that the lecturers comply with the federal government order.

Some of the lecturers might have pulled out of the strike following a threat by the management that failure to resume may lead to termination of appointment.

Lectures held at History, Education and Mass Communication Department.
Already, the Management, through its registrar, R.O Olotu on Sunday sent a reminder to the students that, it was committed to reopening the institution for lectures.

 

A 400 Level student of History, Oladimeji Ogunwale who spoke to DailyPost said, “we have resumed and I received a lecture this morning. I think other Departments are also going on with their lectures.”

Also, a 200 level student of Mass Communication Department, Omoyemi Akinmolayan, said, “I think our Vice-Chancellor has compassion on us and that was why he asked us to resume; we have stayed too long at home. It is a very good development. I know that lectures will continue without interruption”

When asked if the lecturers who taught them were newly employed he said, said “there are no new lecturers in my department for now. We still have the old ones, who were in the class this morning. It is good that we have resumed. As a final year student, I am very happy despite that ASUU has really wasted our time”

The AAUA ASUU Chairman, Dr. Busuyi Mekusi could not be reached as his mobile phone was switched off as at press time.

Read More

ASUU LATEST: UNN, ESUT To Resume Activities On Monday, Dec. 2

 

Representatives of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), declared in separate statements that educational activities there are scheduled to resume on December 2, Monday.

In his statement, the Registrar of the UNN, Mr Anthony Okonta, asured that "normal academic activities would resume immediately."

Students who had outstanding examinations for the 2012/2013 session should report to their respective faculties and departments.

The ESUT Registrar, Mr Chris Igbokwe, also directed students, academic and non-academic staff to report to the institution on Dec. 2. According to the statement, students are advised to return to their respective campuses as the second semester examination would commence on Monday, Dec. 9.

On Thursday, November 28, the Federal Government prompted all federal universities to resume work on or before Dec. 4. The statement, issued by the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, directed the striking members of ASUU to resume work on or before the said date -  or consider themselves sacked.

Read More

University Of Jos Wins $8m Dollars World Bank Grant For Research

The University of Jos has received an eight million dollar grant from the World Bank to establish of an African Centre of Excellence to research on the production of drugs from plants (phytomedicine).

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Hayward Mafuyai, made the fact known in Jos on Friday when he briefed newsmen on the research activities of the institution.

He said that the award was given based on the university’s entry in the call by the bank for research initiatives from African universities.

“We competed with about 52 universities in Africa and we were lucky to win the grant.

“The grant was given to the university to conduct researches to produce modern drugs from plants in Africa

“The grant will be used to conduct researches on different leaves, roots and plants so as to extract their medicinal contents for the use of human beings.

“The team of researchers from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science will carry out the research

“The money will be released to the researchers in phases so as to complete the work without hitches, “ he said.

The vice-chancellor also said that the university emerged as the best in the category of universities in the country during the second Education Innovation Exhibition announced in Abuja on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

He said that “the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Science and Technology organised the exhibition.

“The team of researchers from the university has produced some drugs for the use of Nigerians.

“Our researchers have produced anti-hypertension, anti-diabetes, anti-malaria drugs and anti snake venom.

“We have sent the newly developed drugs to some overseas universities for further verification on their potency,“ he said

Mafuyai said that the institution had also signed a Memorandum (MoU) of Understanding with the university of Cape- Coast in Ghana to train its staff.

“The MOU is signed for initial three year duration for the purpose of omithology: to develop and carry out conservation based training,“ he said.

The vice-chancellor appealed to philanthropists to come to the aid of the university so that it could become the best in the country.

Read More

STRIKE Latest: ASUU NEC meeting now to hold on Saturday

An impeccable source, one of the prominent leaders of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on this yet has disclosed to one of our correspondents that the suspended ASUU Nation Executive Committee, NEC meeting earlier postponed in honour of Late Prof. Festus Iyayi, a renown novelist, former ASUU president and prominent leader of ASUU may be reconvened on Saturday.

He reiterated that the news of of Prof Iyayi’s sudden death came as a rude shock to the union; most painfully, Late Iyayi was on ASUU official assignment when he met his gruesome and untimely death, so there was nothing the Union could do to honour the late hero at the point than to put on hold it NEC meeting scheduled to hold in Kano. “There is strong indication that the NEC meeting will be reconvened on Saturday”. He further stated in strong term that unless ASUU leaders re-decides, the NEC meeting will hold on Saturday.

When asked if the strike will actually be suspended, he said: “I think so, judging by reports from the Monday congresses we held simultaneously, the union may suspend the strike on Saturday or Sunday.”

It will be recalled that ASUU had suspended indefinitely it NEC meeting where decision to either end or continue the lingering strike will be taken due to the death of Late Prof. Festus Iyayi, a former ASUU president.

Read More