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ASUU debunks rumours of imminent strike after ruling on withheld salaries

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Emmanuel Osodeke, president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has dispelled rumours of a fresh strike by lecturers.

The insinuations have been making the rounds following a ruling in favour of the federal government’s ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

Nigeria’s public universities have seen repeated disruptions in academic calendars over the years, with striking lecturers protesting funding deficits, poor conditions of service, and decay in infrastructure.

ASUU embarked on its 16th strike in 23 years in 2022.

The strike lasted for eight months.

In September 2022, the national industrial court (NIC) stopped ASUU from continuing with the strike, pending the determination of a suit.

The federal government insisted that the lecturers would not be paid for the period they were on strike, due to its ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

On May 30, the court upheld the government’s stance on the matter.

‘MALICIOUS AND UNFORTUNATE’

ASUU revisited the issue on August 19 during a national executive council (NEC) meeting at the University of Maiduguri.

Osodeke said the ‘no work, no pay’ policy ignored the fact that only the teaching component of academic work was suspended during the strike.

Reports have been making the rounds that the union is considering a fresh strike over the ruling of the industrial court.

When contacted by TheCable, Osodeke described the reports as “malicious and unfortunate”.

“We never mentioned the issue of another strike. Are we looking to create confusion? I’m just confused,” he said.

Among the issues raised during ASUU’s NEC meeting in Borno were promotion arrears.

The union traced distortions in promotion arrears to the forceful enrollment of academics on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Osodeke said the job racketeering scandal uncovered in the IPPIS has “eroded university employment tradition”.

He said ASUU received reports of mass exit of academics from public universities due to poor working conditions.

“We call on the new administration to save our nation by rejecting the pervasive neo-liberal policies that have brought untold hardship on academics, the working class, and all underprivileged Nigerians,” Osodeke said.

Education

AAU announces resumption date — after shutdown over fee hike protest

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The senate of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) has directed the resumption of full academic activities in the state-owned institution “with immediate effect”.

AAU earlier suspended activities due to the protest occasioned by the upward review of its fees.

The university management, in an emergency meeting on Friday, reviewed its earlier directive suspending academic activities.

Otunba Aladenika, the university’s head of communications, in a statement, said the AAU senate has now revised the academic calendar for the 2022/2023 academic session and approved October 3 for resumption.

“The senate therefore directs that students return to the halls of residence on Sunday 1st October 2023, while lectures are scheduled to commence on Tuesday, 3rd of October, 2023,” he said.

Public universities in Nigeria have been raising their fees since the dawn of the Bola Tinubu administration.

This has resulted in campus protests seeking a reversal of the hikes.

At AAU, the protest led to a shutdown of activities and the dissolution of the varsity’s student union government.

Among the federal universities that have raised their fees are the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo.

Others are Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi and the Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDUS).

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Education

Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia bans students from celebrating after exams

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Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, Nasarawa State, has officially banned after-exam sign-out celebrations for graduating students, both within the campus and outside the polytechnic’s main gate.

The decision, disclosed through a circular signed by the school’s Public Relations Officer, Ali Hassan Mohammed, takes effect immediately and will remain in force until further notice. Stringent security measures have been put in place to ensure strict adherence to the ban.

This resolution stemmed from a crucial emergency management meeting at the institution. Management expressed deep concerns about the disruptive conduct exhibited by students during after-exam sign-out celebrations, both on and off-campus premises.

In a stern warning, the management stated that any student found violating this ban would face expulsion from the institution.

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Education

Two LAUTECH students, driver burnt to death in road crash

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Two people traveling in a bus conveying some final year students of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, returning from a picnic, along Osogbo/Ifon/Oyo Boundary road, have been burnt to death in an accident late Wednesday evening.

Five other occupants were rescued by the operatives of Osun Ambulance Scheme that responded to the distress call from the scene of the accident which happened near Ojutu Bridge, Ilobu.

A resident of Okinni, identified as Adeyanju, who spoke to newsmen on Thursday, said the driver of the bus conveying the victims, had hit a commercial motorcyclist in the town, and was trying to escape the rage of some angry residents chasing after him.

“Few meters from Ojutu Bridge, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus somersaulted and caught fire.

Some people were rescued before the fire could spread, but three people were burnt to death. Operatives of O’Ambulance Scheme came around to rescue some of the victims,” Adeyanju said.

During an interview with newsmen, the Head of Operations, Elizabeth Arowosafe, said the organisation received the distress call around 9:50pm on Wednesday that a bus conveying some final year students of LAUTECH, returning from a picnic was involved in the accident.

She said, “We responded around 9:53pm. I was told the driver had hit someone in Okinni and was speeding to avoid some people around the area chasing after him, when the incident happened.

“The driver alongside a lady and a male student were burnt to death. We were able to rescue 5 people. We rushed them to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo.

The hospital did well. In fact, there was no enough space to accommodate the injured people and we had to leave one of our stretchers for them to use.

“We could not recognise the dead victims. They were travelling inside a bus. I learnt that the occupants of the bus are final year students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, who went to Erin-Ijesa waterfall for an excursion.

“One of the injured students confirmed to us that they were coming from an excursion. She gave us names of victims, but she didn’t have the strength to name the others.”

Also commenting on the crash, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Agnes Ogungbemi, said the accident was caused by violation of speed limit which led to loss of control.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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