The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to meet its demands contained in the Memorandum of Action (MoA), signed by both parties on December 23, 2020.
ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this on Monday 15th of November 2021 while addressing reporters in Abuja.
He warned that the union might be compelled to embark on another nationwide strike should the government fail to implement the Memorandum of Action signed with ASUU prior to the suspension of the last industrial action.
According to the ASUU President, all the issues, including those of unpaid academic earned allowances and the universities revitalisation fund have not been addressed almost one year after an agreement was reached.
The ultimatum is part of the resolutions reached at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU held in the nation’s capital.
ASUU embarked on a nationwide strike in March 2020 following its disagreement with the government over the funding of the universities and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), among other issues.
It had proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace IPPIS
Also, The Union also set up an independent committee to probe what it described as questionable appointment of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, as a Professor of Cyber Security at the Federal University of Technology Owerri.
Osodeke listed several criteria for the position of professorship of which the minister was said to lack thus, not qualified for the position.
ASUU rejected Pantami’s academic position in its entirety saying, “We know something is wrong in the appointment of Isa Pantami as a Professor, it doesn’t look right.”
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday released its timetable and schedule of activities for next year’s (2022) Governorship Elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
According to the Party’s official notice signed by the National Secretary of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudodehe, sale of nomination forms for Ekiti begins 16th November and for Osun 18th November 2021. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier fixed June 18, 2022, for the Ekiti governorship election and July 16, 2022, for the same exercise in Osun state.
Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that the ranking of the state as seventh in the States’ Internally Generated Revenue Index by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for the first two quarters of 2021 did not come as a surprise, adding that the development was as a result of the committment of his administration to the growth and development of Oyo State.
He also noted that the leap in IGR is the manifestation of his administration’s pragmatic approach to governance since May 2019.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, which provided insights into the IGR leap, said that the administration’s commitment to turning Oyo State into an economic and investment hub, as well as the bold initiatives taken by Governor Makinde to encourage the ease of doing business, transform the agriculture and infrastructure sector, and ensure adequate security, were the pillars behind the state’s leap on the IGR index.
The statement further indicated that the Makinde administration would not relent in its determination to expand the economy of the state and improve its finances.
The statement quoted Governor Makinde, as maintaining that his government would continue to be bullish in its approach to expanding the state’s economy, adding that this is in line with his commitment in the Roadmap for Accelerated Development of Oyo State, 2019-2023.
He said that agribusiness and infrastructure development to target the economy would continue to receive priority attention.
The National Bureau of Statistics had recently published its 2021 half-year report of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Nigerian States, stating that Lagos State topped the chart with N267.23bn IGR, followed by FCT with N69, 072,879,664.43 and Rivers state with N57,324,672,372.42.
Oyo State with N25, 191,713,455.75 was in 7th position, while Yobe State with N4, 031,033,046.55 was at the bottom of the table.
With the information made available in the report, Oyo State ranked third among states with highest IGR in the South-West, coming behind Lagos and Ogun States.
The report equally showed that the revenue area where most of South-West states got the highest revenue was Pay As You Earn (PAYE), with Lagos generating N152.7 billion while Oyo State came second with N18.6bn, indicating the strength of the manpower in the states.
Commenting on the data, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, maintained that the ranking of the state on the half-year NBS report reflected the economic realities in the state, where several business-friendly policies of the Governor Makinde administration have resulted in more investments.
He explained that the prompt payment of salaries and pensions, as well as the massive completed and ongoing infrastructure development projects and investments on improving security, which have brought positive improvements to the business environment, have all played huge roles in the state’s improvement on the IGR index.
“You would recall that Oyo State experienced a 42.23 per cent year-on-year growth from N26.75bn in 2019 to N38.04bn in 2020, a growth that was faster than the 8.57 per cent year-on year growth recorded between 2018 and 2019 when its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) grew from N24.64bn to N26.75bn.
“You would also recall that on assuming office, Governor Makinde made it clear that his administration would lay a solid foundation for the economic development of the state and with a solid structure in place, it would progressively improve the finances of the state.
“What you are beginning to see is the practical manifestation of the policies and programmes of the government in the area of economic expansion through agribusiness and infrastructure development.
“The business-friendly policies and the introduction of several incentives to investors by the state government will no doubt culminate into more investments and thereby bring more revenues in the coming months and years. So, residents of the state can look forward to more improvements as we move on.
“In 2018, the half year IGR was N12.379 billion; in 2019, it was N14.060 billion; and in 2020, it moved up to N17.773 billion. For 2021, it is N25.19 billion.
“The governor has always made it clear that the administration will not relent in its efforts to expand the economy of the state using the tripartite approach of developing the agribusiness sector to attract large investments, building solid infrastructure that target the economy and executive well-thought-out policies and incentives that will make doing business easy for investors.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Sunday visited a leadership BootCamp for the young people in his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
The Leadership BootCamp, which is taking place at the Sea School, Apapa, Lagos, features training on poise and soft skills, public speaking classes, marine and physical drills, life-saving techniques in water, assault defensive techniques, mentorship/leadership sessions on legislation and art of governance.
Speaking during the mentorship session with the young constituents, Gbajabiamila said it was organized to prepare Surulere youths against future leadership challenges.
He said: “Surulere, as you all know in Lagos State, is the numero uno who is the number one. We have instructions on economic leadership, social leadership and political leadership.
“Of all those things, I think the most important is political leadership because your politics and what you lay politically on the ground will determine what happens economically, socially and in every other aspect of your life.
“That is why, if you follow the news, you must be conversant because it happens around you; you will see that the National Assembly has just passed a Bill. You’ve heard of the direct and indirect primary controversy?
“The reason direct primary was inserted as mandatory in the electoral amendment act was because of you, you, and you! So, we have opened up the political space, and it’s up to you to take advantage of it and attain the height of political leadership that some of you here, maybe not all, might desire.”
Gbajabiamila said he would continue to support the youths, not just in Surulere or Lagos State, but also across the country to attain their desired goals.
Signed: Lanre Lasisi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Peoples Redemption Party in Oyo State organized her state’s congress on Saturday, 13th November, 2021 at Ifesowapo Primary School Play Ground, Boluwaji Area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Present at the Congress were all accredited delegates across the state, the outgoing interim executive officers, party members and INEC Officials.
The congress started around 12.30pm with opening prayers and National Anthem.
The introduction of delegates and all contestants was conducted on zonal basis. All the political zones in Oyo State were all well represented.
The outgoing interim party chairman in the state in the person of Aremo Adeola Adepoju gave his speech at the event. He said the party in Oyo State just lost one of its executive officers, the interim state’s secretary, Mr. Marufh Bello and if not that the congress is extremely compulsory for the party to move on, we wouldn’t have organised the congress at the moment. He said the demise of our interim party secretary calls for a sober reflection that one day we shall all answer the same call. The congress stood up to observe a minute silence and prayed for the departed soul.
The outgoing interim organizing secretary of the party in person of Hon. Oladimeji Abbas Olajide talked about the vision and mission of the party. He spoke further about the founding fathers of this great party, the late Abubakar Rimi, Balarabe Musa and the host of them. He emphasised that PRP being the oldest political party in Nigeria has come a long way.
The list of contestants was read according to their respective zones and local government.
The Oyo State PRP elected all the new Excos through the process of affirmation. The affirmation was done and the party delegates unanimously returned the interim state’s chairman as newly substantive party chairman in the person of Aremo Adeola Adepoju.
The party also through affirmation confirmed the interim organizing secretary as the newly substantive organizing secretary in the person of Hon. Oladimeji Abbas Olajide.
In the same vein, we have Prince Taiwo Ayoola as the substantive Secretary to the party in Oyo State, Mrs Ayobami Adekunle as the Woman Leader and Hon. Dayo Malomo as the Youth Leader.
The party fielded sixteen (16) positions for the executive officers cutting across all the political zones in Oyo State.
The team leader of INEC Officials at the event, Mr. Kabir Alagbe encouraged all and sundry to go for their voters registration exercise. He advised that all political parties should embrace internal democracy and always allow the will of people to prevail.
The INEC Officials at the congress witnessed, ascertained and confirmed the process of affirmation that brought the emergence of the new Sixteen (16) Peoples Redemption Party executive officers in Oyo State.
In his closing remarks and votes of thanks, the newly emerged state’s secretary, Prince Taiwo Ayoola encouraged all the party faithfuls to work tirelessly to ensure we are able to present credible candidates in the forthcoming elections in 2023. The newly emerged state’s secretary said with hard work and God on our side, we shall take over Oyo State government from PDP in 2023.
Last week Thursday, precisely the 11th of November, 2021, a significant number of students were ejected from examination halls at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo. Invariably, they were denied the right to sit for the second semester examination.
The rationale behind the deprivation was the inability of the students to pay their tuition fees. Customarily, students are under financial obligations to pay a pre – determined amount of money as tuition. Tuition fees are paid twice per annum.
Tertiary education is not free in Oyo state. This is unlike primary and secondary schools. Both elementary and secondary education are tuition-less; courtesy of the magnanimity of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Abiodun Makinde. That singular gesture by His Excellency has returned thousands of drop-outs to schools. Very many parents have also withdrawn their wards from private schools to public. Majority of these drop-outs were hitherto wandering aimlessly in the streets while few were hawking. A significant number had also transformed to urchins and miscreants.
Interestingly, the seemingly shattered hope of the less-privileged students had been rekindled since they now have access to schooling. All adorations to the amiable Governor of Oyo State. May Allah continue to imbue the governor with more wisdom and every impetus needed to succeed.
One of the requisites to becoming a bonafide student in tertiary institutions is the payment of tuition fees. In the past, it used to be the ticket for matriculation. Every successfully – admitted student is expected to fulfil that last requirement of studentship. The payment is mandatory. Non- refundable and non-negotiable.
Meanwhile, due to the precarious situation of our economy and a plethora of unfortunate circumstances, rules are sometimes relaxed in some institutions to accommodate instalment payments. Most often than not, ultimatum were issued for the the payment. However , every defaulter may be susceptible to a penalty in the name of late payment which usually attract extra money.
The above was the situation at the Oyo state-owned ancient College of education when the management barred about forty final – year students from writing a final year paper over unpaid tuition fees of #26,955. The paper was Curriculum Studies with the code Edu 321 and other courses.
From the above, one may be tempted to query the legality of exemption of students from sitting for an examination; the implications of which are enormous.
Tuition fees defaulters who are denied examination would invariably have an extra semester or a year. In this case, they would not be able to graduate with their course mates; no matter their brilianace. This is worrisome.
Like I wrote, the legality and morality of the exemption is questionable. Let us apply logic and discuss as intelllectuals with humane feelings.
The tuition in question is expected to be paid by the students. But have we considered the implication of the deprivation on the future of the students! Earnestly, the punitive measure is weightier than the gravity of the offence. As it is; the students would miss one year. That is to say that they cannot graduate with their mates. Even, if the fees are paid with extra charges. Aside this, they would still need to pay for the extra year by the time they resurface to resit and make up for the loss paper. From this simple analogy, four punishment are starting at their faces: Extra year, #10,000 late payment, payment of tuition for the semester and another payment when they returned after losing a year.
In my opinion, the management should have deviced a means more humane than ejection from examination hall.
For instance, the authority could hold on the release of academic transcripts, grade reports and certificate because of student failure to fulfill their financial and administrative obligations to the college. These obligations may be more than tuition to include education loans, damages or failure to return library books and other indebtedness. This could be effected during the collection of clearance at the bursary department where the records of payment are kept. Surely, the students would come back for their results.
Apart from the bursary, graduating students are mandated to sign certain documents from their respective departments, schools cum faculties and students’ Affairs Office. This makes it practically impossible for any defaulter to elope with his debt.
I sincerely and respectfully crave for the indulgence of the management of the college to critically look into this issue and do the needful.
Comrade Lekan Badmus is a columnist with Oduduwa News and a public affairs analyst.
The Federal Government has launched a portal for its 5,000 housing units which are under different phases of completion.
The Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashiola, said Nigerians can now apply for houses built under the current Federal Government’s National Housing Programme (NHP) in 34 states of the country.
This was following the formal launch of the portal, ‘https://nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng,’ which took place at the Conference Room of the Ministry in Mabushi, Abuja on Friday.
Fashola said, “We converge here just to introduce a portal on which the National Housing Programme pilot will be offered for sale to the public. What that means is that we will not be selling printed forms, the forms are online and this allows for more openness, limits human intervention and any disposition to any underhand practice”.
Nigeria has a housing deficit of over 21 million units and over N21trn will be required to finance the deficit.
But the debate by experts is that the country needs housing units that average Nigerians can afford.
The National Minimum Wage signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 was N30,0000 per month.
The building project which was undertaken by the Ministry of Works is under the National Housing Programme programme and is inline with the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria (SGD), the government had claimed.
The seventeen SDGs have an urban component, including targets such as affordable housing.
Goal eleven of the SDG targets to ensure that by 2030, the government will provide access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
Investigation on the newly launched portal by the ministry reveals that the cheapest building available on the portal is N7,222,404 for a one bedroom flat.
The price of the buildings range from N7,222,404, N9,268,752, N13,241,074 and N16,491,155.8 across the country.
States like Gombe, Katsina ( Gidan kwa-kwa, Off New Ring road, Katsina); Niger ( 3 Arms Zone, Eastern Bye Pass, Minna, Niger); Taraba ( Wukari-Jalingo Road, Jalingo, Taraba); Zamfara (Kuraja-Damba, Off Gusau-Zaria Road, Gusau, Zamfara); Yobe ( Old Damaturu-Maiduguri Road, Damaturu, Yobe) and Adamawa (Sangere Village, along Numan-Jimetta Road, Yola, Adamawa) among others have cost as high as N16,491,155.8.
Some of these states are heavily indebted and have large numbers of the poor.
With the current minimum wage of N30,00, if a Nigerian wants to purchase any of the buildings, the buyer has to make a down payment of 30 per cent of the original cost of the building.
For instance, if the intended buyer chooses to purchase the N16.49m valued three bedroom flat, the buyer will make a down payment of N4.94m which is an equivalent of 13 years and 7 months salary of a minimum wage earner.
This is based on the mortgage calculator for the housing units provided by the ministry on the portal.
If the buyer is settling for the cheapest units, which is N7.22m one bedroom flat, a down payment of N2,166,721.19 is expected to be paid.
The N2.16m down payment is an equivalent of over 6 years salary of a minimum wage earner, while outright purchase of the N7.22m one bedroom apartment will require 20 years salary of the civil servants on N30,000 minimum wage.
The gubernatorial aspirant in the forthcoming 2022 governorship election in Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, and the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu paid a courtesy visit to Oyo State Governor, His Excellency, Engr Seyi Makinde.
“It was so beautiful spending quality time with our great Leader and Governor of Oyo State ENGINEER SEYI MAKINDE at home in Ibadan where he hosted SENATOR ADEMOLA NURUDEEN ADELEKE and friends… I witnessed GSM’s incredible brilliance at close quarter and he left everyone stunned with his sharp intellect, witticism, and hospitality.
The last time I saw him display such robust knowledge of issues of governance was at the London School of Economics in 2016″ – Aare Dele Momodu.
Sources closed to the governor said the meeting was political and majorly centered on how to unite all political gladiators in PDP towards the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun State as well as the 2023 general elections.
ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that a pregnant woman was beaten to death by her husband in Saki area of Oke-Ogun, Oyo State of Nigeria.
It was gathered that the young woman named Nimatalahi from Giwa’s family gave up the ghost because she was seriously beaten by her husband identified as Azeez.
In the process of beating her, Nimatalahi was trying to run away from her aggressive husband, she fell and was initially neglected by her husband before she was later rushed to the hospital, she gave up the ghost 3 hours after.
It was learnt that Nimatalahi was eight month pregnant and has been abused severally in the past before she later met untimely death.
It was revealed she had once lost a pregnancy due to domestic violence from her husband and that her husband Azeez was well known by neighbours and family how he always brutalized his wives.
AZEEZ is in his early 40s and Nimatallahi was in her early 30s. As at the time of filing this report, nobody can ascertain the whereabouts of her husband.
Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of Ekiti State High Court, sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced Abdulsalam Adinoyi (35) to death by hanging.
In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant, thus, implying his culpability in all the charges against him.
Adinoyi was charged and arraigned on five count charges bothering on Armed Robbery, Murder, Terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms, contrary to sections 1 (2) (a) and 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap C16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, also Sections 316 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012 and Sections 11 and 12 of the Ekiti State Kidnapping and Terrorism (Prohibition Law), 2015.
According to the charge, Abdulsalam Adinoyi who hails from Okene in Kogi State, between 22nd of December, 2016 and 20th March, 2017 while armed with a gun, attacked and robbed Sergeant Gana Jiya and other Police Officers at Check Point in Oye Ekiti, murdered Sergeant Gana Jiya on the spot while other Police Officers on duty sustained serious degree of gun wounds and carted away two AK-47 Assaulted Riffle, launched terrorism attack on people of Ekiti State and his environs, confessed to being a member of Boko Haram and unlawfully in possession of an AK-47 Assault Rifle among others.
”The sole issues for determination are accordingly resolved in favour of the prosecution. The defendant is hereby found guilty as charged, he is accordingly sentenced to death by hanging in counts 1, 2 and 3, may Almighty God have mercy on his soul. He is also sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in count 4 and ten years imprisonment in count 5 with N10,000.00 as an option of fine, he concluded.’’
In his confessional statement, Adinoyi said, members of his group named Abu Uwais and Aminu a.k.a. Idi-Amin, now at large were planning for an operation, when Police Officers came to his house, it was searched and the AK-47 an Assault Rifle was recovered among other items.
To prove his case, the Prosecutor, Gbemiga Adaramola called five witnesses including Police officers who were at the scene while exhibits tendered included an AK-47 Assault Rifle, statement of the defendants and the victims, photographs, Compact Discs containing Boko Haram trainings, 5 Sim Cards and packs, Flash drives, empty bullet shells, medical reports among others.
The defendant spoke in his own defence through his counsel and called no witnesses.
