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Don’t Convene Youth Confab, Fund Education to Secure Future Nigeria – ASUU Tell FG

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From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka Zone, (ASUU-Nsukka), on Wednesday said the federal government should allow good  conscience prevail by funding university education and secure the future of the youth in the  Country.

ASUU further said federal rescind the decision to convene a national youth confab that would only cater for an insignificant number of the youth across the country.

The union in a statement by the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Nsukka Zone, Raphael Amokaha in Makurdi, remarked that government agents have been lazy in their approach, non-committal in utterances and evasive in holding meetings that would thrash out the issues.

He said some of the issues in contention include the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries due to the 2022 strike action; release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions among others.

“The way to avoid the imminent strike and secure the future of the youth is for the government to let good conscience prevail and not convene a national youth confab that would only cater for an insignificant number of the youth across the country.

 “The Union has bent backwards to avoid industrial disharmony in our public universities by seeking an amicable resolution of the issues in contention. As it is well known, we were forced into the 2022 strike by the government.

“ASUU-Nsukka zone is dedicating this press release to the efforts our union has made to avert a crisis in our public universities. The issues in contention are no longer news. What we believe is news is that we have been trying to get the government to return to the negotiation table, but government agents prefer to dribble our leaders using frivolous excuses each time a meeting is scheduled.

“This lack of commitment and sincerity on the part of government must stop! We wish to put it on record that government agents have been lackadaisical in their approach, non-committal in their utterances and evasive in meetings.

“Each time ASUU-NEC meets the union issues press releases or holds press briefings on our efforts to bring the government to the negotiating table. All the zones in our union have contributed in these appeals to the government to come back to the negotiating table even as we brief Nigerians through the media of our travels so that public spirited individuals may intervene too”,  Amokaha stated.

They however passed a vote of confidence on the national leadership of the union to continue to lead them on the path of selflessness and commitment to a better university system and a better country.

“This will be the second time ASUU-Nsukka Zone will be briefing Nigerians on the travails of our union at the hands of the government this year. ASUU-Nsukka zone is of the firm conviction that our union has done everything sensible and possible to avert any further disruptions of academic activities in our public universities and we are making this last ditch effort that public hearted individuals and all concerned citizens will lend their voices to our efforts to seek an amicable resolution of the concerns and agitations of our union”, the Coordinator states.

“Touching on the state of Nigerian universities, Amokaha observed that “From the foregoing, nothing has changed for the universities and staff of the universities in the last fifteen years. All the efforts of our union to halt the decay and revitalize our universities have been frustrated by the government. The efforts to better the lot of our members have equally been frustrated.

“University workers are one of the very few, if not the only set of workers in Nigeria that have not had a salary review in the last fifteen years. We have consistently held press interactions at the various levels of our union, done protests, held town hall meetings all in a bid to avoid strikes and impress on the government to do the right thing. All these have been futile.

“Can this ‘noble’ confab intended by the government accommodate one tenth of the youth population in our public universities, bearing in mind that there are over seventy public universities, with a minimum of four thousand students each with some having as many as sixty to one hundred and twenty thousand students? Our opinion is no.

“If the government cares about our youth, if the government cares about the citizenry, if the government cares about a better Nigeria, the first thing to do is to take education seriously. There is also a question of morals and its impartation or lack of it. What lesson does our government want the youth to imbibe when the government itself treats those training the youth with such disdain, levity, and dishonour (failure to honour agreements)?

“The way forward to avoid the looming industrial crisis in our public universities and to secure the future of our youth and nation is for the government to let good conscience prevail! Going forward, the government must be sincere in its discussions with our leaders and committed to an immediate resolution of the issues in contention”.

NEWS

Kebbi Gets New Head of Service

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The Kebbi Government has appointed Malami Muhammad-Shekari as the substantive Head of Civil Service of the state.The Chief Press Secretary to Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, made this known in a statement in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.Idris said the appointment had been conveyed to Muhammad-Shekari in a letter dated Nov.

1.He added that the appointment took effect from Oct.
28.“The Executive Governor of Kebbi State, His Excellency, Dr Nasir Idris, FCNA (Kauran Gwandu), has approved the appointment of TPL.
Malami Muhammad Shekare (mni) as the substantive Head of the Civil Service with effect from 28th Oct. 2024,” Idris quoted the letter as stating. (NAN)

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APC Stalwart Faults Ex-Kogi Gov’s Trial

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All Progressives Congress (APC) Stalwart Isaac Onuh and a former Ambassador to Botswana has faulted the trial of former Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello over corruption charges.In a news conference on Friday in Lokoja, Onuh described Bello’s trial as an “unfortunate witchhunt”.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has, on Thursday, asked a Federal High court in Abuja to begin the trial of Bello in his absence.

The anti-graft agency has also filed a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80 billion.
But Onuh alleged that the anti-corruption agency was harassing and intimidating the ex-governor.He said that Bello deserved to be respected by government agencies, including EFCC, having served the state for eight years.
He alleged that the EFCC had yet to provide ample evidence to substantiate its allegations of financial impropriety against Bello.He noted that Kogi was governed by laws made by the state House of Assembly which established the state anti-corruption commission that consistently gave clean bill to Bello during his administration.But the EFCC insisted that it asked Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, to proceed with the trial of Bello in absentia, arguing that his non-appearance in court for arraignment should not be allowed to frustrate his trial.The EFCC through its lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, also urged the court to enter a plea of “not guilty” on behalf of Bello.According to EFCC, Bello is facing trial on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80.2billion.It notes that the court had summoned him for arraignment six consecutive times.Pinheiro noted that the former governor’s refusal to appear for his arraignment was malicious and that the court should not demonstrate helplessness by not trying him in absentia.(NAN)

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Ebonyi: Police Arrest 4 Suspected Organ Harvesters, 173 Others

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The Nigeria Police command in Ebonyi said it arrested no fewer than 177 suspected criminals for various offences in the month of October, 2024. The Command noted that four out of the 177 suspects were alleged to be involved in human organ harvesting and ritual killings. DSP Joshua Ukandu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) disclosed this in a news conference in Abakaliki on Friday.

Ukandu explained that officers and men of the command arrested a total of 177 suspects which includes 162 males and 15 females.
“92 suspects among them have been charged to court, while others would be arraigned once investigations are completed. “On behalf of the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi Command, CP Anthonia Uche-Anya, I want to warmly welcome you to this press conference “I am here to update you on the Command’s achievements within October 2024 and our relentless efforts to combat crimes and ensure a safe and prosperous environment for socio-economic growth in the State.
“The command has employed strategic steps through increased stakeholders engagement to help bring crimes to the barest minimum. “Through this approach, we have been able to reduce the incidences of violent crimes, while operatives of the command are not relenting in our efforts to make the state safe for all. “During the month under review, the command arrested 162 males and 15 females, totalling 177 suspects for various offences. 92 suspects have already been charged in court, while others will be arraigned once investigations are complete,” Ukandu explained. On the alleged organ harvesting and ritual killings, the Command’s Spokesman said that on October 11, Mrs Blessing Chikezie reported to the command of her missing husband, Mr Idenyi Chikezie, who left home on September 9 for a business trip to Lagos. “Command operatives from the Anti-kidnapping unit, through a painstaking investigation and credible intelligence, arrested one Innocent Elebe and Eze Elechi; they made useful statements, which led the police to arrest Obinna Nwanguru and Oda Peter. “They confessed to killing Chikezie Idenyi, Chibu Odii and Eze Fabian on different dates while trying to extract their blood/ organs to use it to cure a cognitively impaired person (Down syndrome). “Operatives of the command have recovered the corpses of Chikezie Idenyi and Chibu Odii while effort is ongoing to recover the remains of the third victim,” Ukandu stated. Some other suspects were arrested for kidnappings, murder, robbery and unlawful possession of firearms. (NAN)

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