The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has said the Buhari led federal government will not allow the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to plunge it into another burden of borrowings.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated this while speaking during an interview with ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television yesterday.
He said the federal government has explored all avenues to reach a truce, but the striking ASUU members turned deaf ears.
Keyamo stated that ASUU failed to honour dialogue with the key stakeholders holding the purse of the federal government.
The minister said the government cannot go beyond its capacity, because it is not only ASUU that is feeding from the federal government purse.
The Governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde, has given his approval for the Governing Council of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, to be dissolved.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, signed a memo containing the dissolution on August 4, 2022.
The concerned board members were instructed in the memo, which was sent to the Chairman of the Governing Council and copied to the Honorable Commissioner for Education and the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, to turn over all government property in their possession to the Acting Rector.
In a statement, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the governor’s chief press secretary, cited Adeosun as saying that the dissolution is effective right away.
“I wish to communicate the permission,” the memo begins.
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa.
The dissolution was contained in a memo dated August 4, 2022, which was signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun.
The memo, which was addressed to the Chairman of the Governing Council and copied to the Honourable Commissioner for Education as well as the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, indicated that the affected board members are to hand over all government items in their possession to the Acting Rector.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Adeosun as stating that the dissolution takes immediate effect. The memo reads: “I wish to convey the approval of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde on the immediate dissolution of the Governing Council of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa.
“Consequent upon the above development, you are hereby directed to hand-over all government items in your possession to the Acting Rector of the institution. “I am to add that your contribution within the time of your service is appreciated and commendable, and therefore, wish you success in your future endeavours.”Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa.
The dissolution was contained in a memo dated August 4, 2022, which was signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun. The memo, which was addressed to the Chairman of the Governing Council and copied to the Honourable Commissioner for Education as well as the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, indicated that the affected board members are to hand over all government items in their possession to the Acting Rector.
An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Lagos State Ministry of Education of inserting Bible knowledge questions in the 2022 entrance examination for Lagos State public schools. The group alleged that the development gave Christian candidates an edge over their Muslim counterparts and put Muslim candidates at great disadvantage as they are certain to miss those questions.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Tuesday 2nd August, 2022 by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads:
“Our office has been inundated by reports of strange questions in a general paper set for the Lagos State Primary Six Placement Test Into JSS 1 in Lagos secondary schools held on Saturday, 23rd July, 2022. The reference number on the question paper was LSA/PT/2022.
“Although the paper was captioned English Studies/Verbal Reasoning/General Paper, specifically, questions 12 and 14 were straight from the Bible and only Christian candidates could have made head or tail of them. These two questions were designed for Muslims to fail.
The questions were designed to upset Muslim students and make them lose confidence in themselves thereby leading to confusion, frustration and ultimate failure. The caption of that paper should have been ‘Common Entrance in Lagos State…Muslims Come and Fail’.
“Question number 12 which is an objective, says, ‘Paul was born in a city called …Tarsus…Jerusalem…Jordan…Bethel. Candidates were expected to pick one of the four options. But how on earth is a Muslim candidate expected to know what to pick? Ditto for question number 14 which reads ‘The English Bible was translated into Yoruba language by …Pastor Joseph Ayo Babalola…Bishop Benson Idahosa…Pastor Enoch Adeboye … Bishop Ajayi Crowther.
“This is parochial, provocative and unacceptable. This is another proof of the Christianisation of the education sector in Lagos State. How can anyone defend this? It is scandalous. Who set these obnoxious questions? Who proofread and supervised the examination? Who approved the questions? It is clear that this is the handiwork of religious bigots, but then somebody is guilty of gross negligence. Heads must roll.
“We knew this was going to happen when all the six tutor generals in the state are Christians and the state government refused to listen to appeals from Muslims to stop its exclusivism. We had three Christians and three Muslims in the days of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Raji Fashola. Muslims were removed under Ambode and the incumbent has refused to listen to complaints from the Muslim Community.
“The Muslim candidates have been put on a tight rope because the instruction on top of the question paper says ‘Attempt all questions’. This means that anyone who jumps those two biblical questions does so at his or her own risk. The questions have effectively caged the Muslim students and placed them between Scylla and Charybdis, the horrible six-headed monster in Greek mythology and its fearful whirlpool on the other side.
“Heads must roll over this unless the state government has already given the licence to marginalise, traumatise and dehumanise Muslims in Lagos State to their Christian counterparts. There must be consequences for this gross anomaly unless the state government has sold its Muslim citizens to the bishops and pastors mentioned in question 14 for a pot of porridge.
“Any government that treats its citizens like this cannot expect love and unity among them. Neither can such a government earn the respect and support of the section that it marginalises and treats like outcasts. This attitude does not engender love. Neither does it depict tolerance.
“Lagos Muslims pay tax like their Christian counterparts. Why then are they being relegated to third class citizens. The tax paid by them forms part of the state’s internally generated revenue which is used to pay staff of the Ministry of Education and its teachers, including those who drafted those two offensive questions.
“No attempt was made to balance the trend and thus mitigate the offence by adding two Islamic questions. The paper was therefore a direct assault on Islamdom. The authors are daring Muslim parents and other Muslims in Lagos State to do their worst.
“Therefore, we demand apology from the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, we demand an investigation into circumstances surrounding the inclusion of such sectional, insensitive, repugnant and religiously volatile questions in a general paper.”
LAUTECH Students have embarked on protest over death of one of them, Opadele Racheal, a 500 level studenta bducted last week and was killed along side an hotelier by kidnappers in Aba, Ogbomoso.
The road linked to Ilorin has been blocked by the students who trooped out to demand justice for the young lady who was murdered by the kidnappers.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has rolled over its ongoing strike for another 4 weeks.
A statement signed by ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said this was to give the government enough time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.
It also stated that the roll-over strike was effective from 12.01 am, August 1 2021.*
ASUU said it took this decision after its National Executive Council meeting which started on Sunday night at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja.
The statement read, “After extensive deliberations, noting 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 four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.
“The roll-over strike action is with effect from 12.01 a.m. on Monday, 1st of August 2022.”
The press release titled, ‘Update on ASUU roll-over strike,’ read, “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held an emergency meeting on Sunday, 31st of August 2022 at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja.
Former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Lateef Akanni Hussein is dead. Prof. Hussein died after a brief illness in the evening of Sunday, 31st July, 2022 at the age of 75 years.
Prof. Hussein a professor of Physics was the 6th Substantive Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University; he served between 2005 and 2011.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni, while confirming the news on Monday, expressed her deep shock at the passing away of her former boss, under whose leadership she served as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University.
The respected scholar will be buried today, Monday, 1st August, 2022 accoridng to Islamic rites at Atan Cemetery shortly after a Janazah prayer at LASUTH Central Mosque, Ikeja, Lagos.
The students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH Ogbomosho have cried out over incessant killings and kidnappings ravaging the country in recent times. The students further used the ocassion to appeal to the Federal and Oyo State Governments to help rescue their colleagues who have been in the captivity since July 29th.
According to the statement jointly signed and sent to ODUDUWA NEWS by the Students’ Union President, General Secretary and Public Relations Officer, PRO, Adeboye Anuoluwa, Opaleke Ibrahim and Michael Gabriel as reproduced below:
HELP SAVE AND FREE RACHAEL
It is with a heavy heart that we write this openly to Federal Government Presidency, Oyo State Government, and all Nigerians. Our hearts are grieved by the unending sorrow bequeathing our fellow students by the criminals (rapists, thieves, looters, kidnappers, and murderers) by unknown gunmen that have grown wings and spread across the country otherwise known as “Bandits”. It is obvious now that ruthless kidnapping and abduction is assuming not only endemic shape but also becoming a burgeoning lucrative and money-spinning venture with many invisible profiteers.
It saddens our heart that Opadele Rachael Abiola, a final year student of Fine and Applied Arts with Matric Number: 170886 reported to have been abducted in the early hours of July 29th, 2022 in a hotel at Aaba, a community close to LAUTECH. Racheal was said to be working at the hotel due to the ASUU strike that has kept all Nigerian students outside the school. What a shame on our Federal Government led by President Muhammed Buhari who has failed us. The Federal Government has failed us in our education system as well as our security is no more guaranteed.
How much longer should we continue to bow to the wanton sacrilege meted out by these marauding villains called kidnappers? The Presidency has to bring forth the most effective and lasting solutions to these societal ills before the situation degenerates into an intractable phase. The time is now, and it is now or never for the Presidency to pursue the much-needed counter-kidnapping operation.
To Oyo State Government and Our University Management, please help us beave up the security around the University Community. We can tell you that the security and safety of LAUTECH Community are in great jeopardy. Now is the time to act before it’s too late. For the past few weeks, we have been experiencing several robberies and other hideous acts. Now, one of us is kidnapped. Who knows who is next? Before these evil people make a job to be kidnapping students, ACT NOW!!!
We can no longer walk or move freely, sleep conveniently, travel, or do anything without fear of being abducted or kidnapped, robbed, raped, or maimed within or outside our University Community.
This is a cry of bereavement from over 35,000 students of Ladoke Akintola University Of Technology, Ogbomoso to the Federal Government Presidency, Oyo State Government, All Security Operatives in Nigeria and Oyo State, The Obas, and the Management of LAUTECH over the abduction of Rachael by unknown gunmen known as bandits in our dear country, Nigeria, to help free and save Rachael.
HELP FREE RACHAEL
FreeRachael #SAVEALADOKITE #EnoughOfInsecurity
Signed: ADEBOYE, Anuoluwa PC: Anuoluwa President 08160860820
OPALEKE, Okiki Ibrahim PC: Famousbee General Secretary 09028853993
MICHAEL, Love Gabriel PC: Young General Public Relations Officer 08146077415
OYO STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION RUBBISHED ARABIC, RENDERED IT USELESS IN THE ONGOING 2022 JSS 3 BECE
By: Rasheed Haashim, Ibadan
In the history of Arabic as a subject in JSS 3 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Arabic has never been rubbished the way Oyo State Ministry of Education rubbished it yesterday Monday, 25th July, 2022 in the ongoing JSS 3 Government BECE. This has compelled Muslim school owners, Arabic teachers, students in JSS 3, stakeholders in education, concerned citizens of the state and parents to lament bitterly over the Arabic questions written with poor and illegible handwriting in the ongoing Oyo State JSS 3 BECE. The questions laced with multiple ERRORS. Experts in Arabic will find reading it difficult not to talk of JSS 3 kids. The questions really belittle our Pace Setter State, Ajise bi Oyo laari.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo Ibadan
Oyo State Ministry of Education in this 21st century and computer era cannot type Arabic BECE questions with computer/laptop 💻 but with illegible handwriting! This is disgusting, annoying, irritating, saddening, disheartening, frustrating and provoking. It is sending bad signal to the concerned stakeholders that it was a deliberate attempt to kill Arabic in public and private schools in the State and discourage Muslim students from offering the subject! Some schools didn’t even write Arabic yesterday while those who wrote it did so by instructing their Arabic teachers to read out the unclear questions with extra stress to the candidates in the examination halls. It was a pathetic situation yesterday at various schools. This is not a standard way of conducting school examination let alone government examination like JSS 3 BECE!
This is happening in Oyo State where we have a lot of Arabic experts! This is happening in Oyo State where we have a lot of expert Arabic typists! This is happening in Oyo State where University of Ibadan runs Arabic as a course! This is happening in Oyo State where we have a lot of public and private colleges of Education running Arabic as a course. This is happening in Oyo State where we have a lot of madaris (Arabic Schools) like: Mahadul Arabi An-Naijiri, Elekuro, Madrasatud-Da’wah, Olohunsogo, Mahadul Muflihin, Muslim, Mahdu Najah, Muslim, Kulliyatu Imam Malik, Jegede, Darul Hadith, Gbagi among other thousand Arabic schools in Iseyin, Kishi, Shaki, Eruwa, Igboora, Oyo Town, Ogbomoso and Ibadan.
We will only be flabbergasted if English and French questions slated to hold on Thursday, 28th July, 2022 are typed. English and French questions must not be typed as well. They must be produced in illegible and poor handwriting like their Arabic counterpart.
Whether English and French questions are typed or not on Thursday, 28th, 2022, that is not our concern as it affects all. We are much concerned about Arabic now.
We thus have the following demands URGENTLY from Oyo State government and Oyo State Ministry of Education:
2022 Arabic BECE questions written yesterday Monday, 25th July, 2022 must be cancelled. New Arabic questions neatly typed must be provided and students re-write it. If Cultural and Creative Arts (CCA) as a subject could be cancelled that same yesterday because of errors, Arabic with multiple ERRORS was in best position to be cancelled and rescheduled.
Subsequently, Arabic examinations must be neatly typed and edited. It must be given to experts to vet. Grammatical and spelling errors should not occur again.
Arabic should not be looked down upon in any examinations. It should be accorded its honour as an international language of repute. It should not be seen as problem of Muslims alone.
Public apology should be tendered from Oyo State Government and Oyo State Ministry of Education to the public on psychological torture subjected students to yesterday and for rubbishing a subject thousands if not millions of Oyo State Muslims hold in high esteem.
Muslim bodies like AMIS, MUTAN, NATAIS etc. should be consulted in order to have superb and error free Arabic examinations subsequently.
We hope Oyo State government will yield to our polite demands on time and do the needful. We are seriously watching. We come in peace. Thanks
Rasheed Haashim graduated from Arabic Department, University of Ilorin in 2005. He is a teacher of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
The Oyo State Government has sanctioned some Head-teachers for collecting illegal fees and denying pupils access to examination halls during the ongoing Public Primary Schools Unified Examination.
The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran disclosed this today while monitoring the Exams in Ibadan.
Dr. Nureni Adeniran said five Head-teachers of Methodist Basic School, (School 1-5), Gan-gansi were found culpable in the alleged illegal collection of fees, spearheaded by the School-Based Management Committee of the school, who chased the pupils home.
Adeniran, who said the present administration has abolished collection of any development Levy in all schools across the state, frowned at the School authority’s role in compelling parents to contribute the said fee.
“No doubt SBMCs, PTAs can contribute to the development of their local schools. But, it must not in any way affect the education of pupils”, he added.
“No child should be discriminated against, in the State Education sector”, Adeniran insisted.
According to him, some parents had reported to the Board that Headteachers of the school denied their children access to Examination hall for failure to pay N100 development levy charged by the School’s management and SBMC, through a popular radio station in Ibadan.
Adeniran said the present administration, under Governor Seyi Makinde’s leadership would not fold its arms and allow saboteurs to ridicule its efforts in mandating free education.
He added that the ongoing education reforms of the present administration in the State, has yielded huge results that must not be sabotaged.
Dr. Adeniran therefore directed that the affected Head-teachers should be given queries to serve as a deterrent to others who may be collecting such illegal fees.
“For denying Governor Seyi Makinde’s Pupils access to write exams, queries have been issued to Head-teachers of Methodist Basic School, 1-5”, he said.
The SUBEB boss also directed that all learners should be allowed to sit for exams without any form of hindrance.
He urged Teachers in all public schools to adhere strictly to the State Government’s policies and directives on Education.
Some of the schools visited include, IMG, Ibuko Ibadan South East LGA; Ratibi Muslim school, Molete, South-West; IMG Basic School, Idi-Iroko, Molete.
Adeniran, who led a team of officials from SUBEB also visited Islamic Mission School 1, Bode, Ibadan; Methodist Basic School 1-5, Gan-gansi and Community Primary School, Awotunde, Ona-ara LGA and a host of others.
He said the monitoring exercise continues in the course of the week, which will also be extended to other zones of the State, including Ogbomoso, Oyo, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa.
