Category: Education

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally broken his silence about the approval of the new naira note that has caused controversies between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

According to Buhari, the CBN had his backing on the decision to introduce new naira notes, adding that he approved the policy because he was sure it is in the national interest.

Naija News gathered that the President in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, noted that the only people the policy will affect are those hiding illicit money, not people with legitimate businesses.

Recall that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Amina Ahmed disclosed last Friday that she and her ministry were not consulted or had prior information about the redesigning of the N200, N500 and N1000 notes.

Shehu’s statement said “President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said that the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to launch new designs and replace high-value Naira notes had his support and is convinced that the nation will gain a lot by doing so.

“Speaking in a Hausa radio interview with the famous journalist Halilu Ahmed Getso, and Kamaluddeen Sani Shawai to be aired Wednesday Morning on Tambari TV on Nilesat, President Buhari said reasons given to him by the CBN convinced him that the economy stood to benefit from the reduction in inflation, currency counterfeiting and the excess cash in circulation.”

The President, who said he didn’t think the three-month notice to the implementation of the policy is short, said ”People with illicit money buried under the soil will have a challenge with this but workers, businesses with legitimate incomes, will face no difficulties at all.”

This article was originally published on Naija News

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has urged the Federal Government to release the withheld salaries of the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Naija News reports the union made this known in a communique made available after NLC’s National Executive Council meeting held in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State.

In the communique, the NLC said, “NEC noted the collapse of effective collective bargaining machinery in the tertiary education sub-sector.”

This follows the federal government’s policy of no-work-no-pay policy against ASUU lecturers during the eight-month-old strike by the union.

The  Labour Congress announced last week that it will be holding a NEC meeting in Kebbi state, of all the NLC-affiliated unions from the 36 states of the federation, union leaders and other stakeholders.

The communique released by the NLC after the NEC meeting reads “This fact is buttressed by the recent protracted industrial dispute in public universities in the country which was consummated in industrial litigation, arm-twisting of conciliation efforts and extreme violations of human and trade union rights, withholding of the salaries of university workers and interference in trade union activities including balkanization of trade unions in the tertiary education sub-sector and overt threats to proscribe existing trade unions.

“The NEC resolved as follows: Called on Government to honour all collective bargaining agreements with unions in the tertiary education sub-sector, especially with regards to wages and conditions of service and increase budgetary allocation to the education sector.

“Called for the release of withheld salary owed university workers. Rejects the “no work – no pay” policy of the government.

“Called on the Minister of Labour and Employment to respect the provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution, Trade Unions Act (CAP T14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria), Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation on respect for trade union independence, promotion of tripartism and social dialogue in the exercise of his mandate as a Minister.

“NEC further resolved to defend trade union independence as guaranteed by the clear provisions of our labour laws.”

This article was originally published on Naija News

The counsel for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Femi Falana, SAN, has disclosed that his client’s position concerning the judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria which ordered the striking lecturers to call off the eight-month-old. strike.

Naija News gathered that Falana was reported to have said that ASUU filed for the appeal on October 14, 2022, a day after it called off the strike.

Falana noted that it was in line with the appellate court’s directive for ASUU to first obey the ruling of the lower court before it could file an appeal at the Appeal Court.

He noted that even though the academic union has applied, it is yet to receive any date for the hearing of the suit, as they await an official hearing date from the appellate court.

Recall that Naija News had reported earlier that the Industrial Court ordered the striking lecturers back to work after it couldn’t reach an agreement with the federal government to settle out of court.

In his response to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige’s comment that ASSU can sue the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) over its registration, Falan remarked that “The minister knows that he deliberately committed illegality. He should have gone to court to find out the legality of his proliferation of unions among academic staff in the universities.”

Meanwhile, Naija News reported last Friday that the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has told the Federal Government and its agents, including Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, to desist from all its plans to ban the union.

According to him, the academic union has its philosophy based on a worthy course for the progress of the country’s educational sector and its positive multiplier effects on every other area of the nation, adding that no matter what the plans are to proscribe the union, it will not work.

Naija News reports that the ASUU president declared this while delivering his goodwill message at the special commemorative programme organised by the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye chapter of the union in Ogun state to honour the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Ganiyu Olatunde.

Osodeke noted that it’s rather unfortunate that the Federal Government is always envious of the union’s achievements at setting qualitative and enduring standards in the areas of infrastructural provisions and services, despite the insufficient funding of the education sector.

He added that Ngige was a jester over his efforts at proscribing ASUU, during the eight months strike.

“I can see why Ngige is interested in banning ASUU because once ASUU is proscribed, all the union’s assets automatically become the federal government’s property, even when the government is bereft of ideas to put in place, qualitative assets in the midst of sufficient funds at its disposal as done in the University of Ibadan, UniPort, the University of Maiduguri among other places.

“You will never succeed in banning ASUU because ours is a union that assesses the system and aligns with the worthy course without being biased for the progress of the Nigerian educational society,” the ASUU president said.

This article was originally published on Naija News

Some Nigerian lecturers have come out to bare their minds on how tough things were for them during the eight-month period of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

According to some of these lecturers, it wasn’t easy to survive with their families considering the situation of the country and the fact they were placed on the no work, no pay policy by the federal government.

Naija News learnt that some of the public university lecturers were reported to have said most of them depended on their spouses, monies from coperative societies and dependence on others to cater for their families during the eight-month period of the strike.

For some of them the eight months of strike offered them free time to embark on different pursuits including research and others.

A cross-section of these university dons bared their minds about what life was for them during the strike.

For the Director of the Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Emmanuel Omobowale, “it has been by God’s grace. Spouses and hustling and cooperatives gave palliatives and loans to members. Coperatives also paid dividends to members. It has been fantastic. It has helped a lot.”

Femi Ajayi of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, said “those seven months could be likened to seven years of famine in Egypt during the time of Moses in the Bible.

‘’My coping strategies were reducing my expenses and no movement beyond my neighbourhood. Food consumption was reduced and bills were not paid sometimes. Requests were kept in view.

“Coping facilities were obtained from my union and cooperative society.

“Subscriptions were suspended. My farm became a source of vegetables and some food products.”

On his part, Dr Stephen Lafenwa of the political science department at UI had this to say “we have been using cooperative societies to take care of our needs. The cooperatives have been useful for us. We have some money and commodities. Although some of us have our wives working.”

Prof. Adewale Yagboyaju in UI too, said “I engaged in research and community development activities. It was a great opportunity to complete some ongoing research works and it enabled one’s efforts to pay off by way of journal publications. It also enhanced the search for new information and knowledge,” the Guardian reported.

This article was originally published on Naija News

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has told the Federal Government and its agents, including Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, to desist from all its plans to ban the union.

According to him, the academic union has its philosophy based on a worthy course for the progress of the country’s educational sector and its positive multiplier effects on every other area of the nation, adding that no matter what the plans are to proscribe the union, it will not work.

Naija News reports that the ASUU president declared this while delivering his goodwill message at the special commemorative programme organised by the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye chapter of the union in Ogun state to honour the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Ganiyu Olatunde.

Osodeke noted that it’s rather unfortunate that the Federal Government is always envious of the union’s achievements at setting qualitative and enduring standards in the areas of infrastructural provisions and services, despite the insufficient funding of the education sector.

He added that Ngige was a jester over his efforts at proscribing ASUU, during the eight months strike.

“I can see why Ngige is interested in banning ASUU because once ASUU is proscribed, all the union’s assets automatically become the federal government’s property, even when the government is bereft of ideas to put in place, qualitative assets in the midst of sufficient funds at its disposal as done in the University of Ibadan, UniPort, the University of Maiduguri among other places.

“You will never succeed in banning ASUU because ours is a union that assesses the system and aligns with the worthy course without being biased for the progress of the Nigerian educational society,” the ASUU president added.

He, however, warned Vice Chancellors of public universities to desist from seeing themselves in the position of Chief Executive Officers (C.E.Os) of universities when in reality, they are just the first among their equals in the academic community.

This article was originally published on Naija News