The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • LASU sacks ASUU leader, 16 others for alleged bribery, forgery, other offences

    LASU sacks ASUU leader, 16 others for alleged bribery, forgery, other offences

    The accusations and counter-accusations between the Management of the Lagos State University and the Chairman of the school’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewunmi, reached a climax yesterday with Oyewunmi’s dismissal by the authorities of the university.

    Also dismissed alongside Oyewunmi were 14 academic and two non-academic staff of the university, whose dismissals were ratified at the sitting of the Governing Council on Thursday.

    The dismissed staff of the university include Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, Senior Lecturer and Acting Head, Department of History and International studies; Mr Olatoye Mubin Raji, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Religions (Islamic Studies Unit); Dr. Olugbenro Bankole Odofin, Senior Lecturer, Department of Education Foundation and Counselling Psychology; Dr. Adebowale Adebayo Ademeso, Senior Lecturer, Department of Theatre Arts and Music; Dr. Scholastica Ebarefimia Udegbe, Lecturer 1, Department of Marketing and Dr. Olufemi Olugbenga Soyeju, Lecturer ll, Department of Jurisprudence and International Law.

    Others are Dr. Olawale Ganiyu Raimi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biochemistry; Mr Ademola Olusola Adesina, Lecturer ll, Department of Computer Science; Dr. Shamisudeen Olusesan Badmus, Lecturer ll, Department of Accounting; Dr. Emmanuel Sesofia Asapo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering; Dr. Christiana Ibidun Obagbuwa, Lecturer ll, Department of Computer Science; Mr Lateef Babatunde Salami, Lecturer ll, Department of Microbiology; Olubukola Adetoun Oyeniya, Assistant Research Fellow, Centre for Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development; Dr. Fatimat Oluwatoyin Bakare, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering; Mr Ramon Ajose Alli (former Head Machine Operator); Mr Emmanuel Baoku Babatunde, a Senior Security Officer and Mr Ernest Odili, an Assistant Security Officer.

    Their dismissal was contained in a statement signed by the university’s acting Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Adekoya, and made by available to The Nation.

    The allegations against the affected lecturers ranged from bribery, result/grades falsification and doctoring of certificates to defaulting on the conditions of their training leave bond and dishonesty, among others.

    Similarly, Dr. John Olufemi Adeogun, an associate professor, Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, Faculty of Education, was demoted for “acts bordering on dishonesty,” while a non-teaching staff and senior security officer, Mr Emmanuel Baoku Babatunde, was also reduced in rank for “deliberate sabotaging of the university’s security operations.”

    The case of Oyewunmi, a senior lecturer in the Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, had been on the table since November last year when the school’s management alleged that he collected a N50,000 bribe from 2003 modular year students of Political Science Education on the sandwich Programme.

    Oyewunmi, who until his dismissal yesterday was the ASUU-LASU chairman, denied it all.

    His case was to later polarise the rank and file of the union, with some pitting their tents with management others described it as victimisation of the union by management, using certain elements who were considered loyal to the immediate past administration which had a running battle with ASUU-LASU and other unions, but was eventually kicked out.

    However, the management said it premised its judgement on the integrity of the investigative panel as well as the individuals being given a fair hearing.

    “The Joint Council /Senate (Academic) Disciplinary Committee and the Joint Council (Administrative and Technical Staff) Disciplinary Committee which heard the cases strictly followed all laid down procedures, and duly gave opportunity to the individuals involved to defend themselves. The Lagos State University is poised to continue to quality assure its processes,” the statement further stated.

    The university’s branch of ASUU said yesterday that it was aware of the report and would make its pronouncement known at the appropriate time.

    ASUU-LASU Secretary, Dr Tony Dansu, said the union would keep mum on the issue for now.

     ”We are aware of the release, but we want to be silent for now.

    “We shall soon convene a meeting, and whatever is the outcome shall be made public through you. That I can assure you,” he said.

  • FG, ASUU embrace ‘collective bargaining’-NLC

    FG, ASUU embrace ‘collective bargaining’-NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday urged the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embrace collective bargaining, saying there would be no progress in the society without quality education.

    NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, stated this at a conciliation meeting with executive of ASUU, officials of the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in Abuja.

    “It is a very important issue that ought to drive the process of our development because world over, there is no way progress can be made without quality education. That is the centrality of the issue.

    “All of us are here with much more commitment to see that the issues are resolved and through our process of collective bargaining.

    “It is very cardinal in addressing issues of industrial relations and when agreements are signed. We must find ways and means of implementing them (agreements) and minimising area of industrial activities.

    “The expectation of all of us as Nigerians is that we will put these issues beyond us and drive our process of development forward.

    “So that all of us with open mind and very good will to see how these process can be resolved as it is a process that is time tested. We hope it will produce a win-win result situation for all, ‘’he said.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr.Chris Ngige, said the meeting was convened to address the crisis.

    NAN

  • Olanipekun urges compromise between FG and ASUU

    Olanipekun urges compromise between FG and ASUU

    The Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reach a compromise on the issues that led to the ongoing strike by lecturers in public universities across the country.

    Olanipekun spoke during the commissioning of some projects in the school campus.

    The 10 projects executed by the school through direct labour were estimated at N45.6m.

    According to Olanipekun, the situation on ground makes it imperative for the federal government to reach agreement with the lecturers in order to save the future of students in the affected institutions.

    He said: “Here at ACU, we pay our salaries as at when due. We do not owe anybody. We have no problem with ASUU going on strike but as a Nigerian, I want to plead that the earlier ASUU and the federal government put an end to this constant industrial action, the better for all of us, the better for our children and better for the generation unborn.”

    “We have been able to open 10 projects today (Wednesday). Please, let us tell people in our country, this is the way to fight corruption. This is the way to manage resources. I have been saying this as a lawyer, fighting corruption is not about naming names and maybe you chain and take people to court. Curb the very tap root. You uproot it, exterminate it of corruption.

    “We want to challenge Nigerian governors to send people to ACU and learn how we manage resources and let them to send auditors, architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, and structural engineers, let them compare and contrast what we spend on our projects with what they spend in other public institutions, including government institutions themselves.

    “This is our own humble way of telling the government that we have our own way of fighting corruption. We have our own way of instilling discipline into the financial sector of this country. How I wish government takes a cue from this. How I wish the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would come here, not to arrest, harass our management team but to learn from us.

    “How I wish I was a Pro- Chancellor of this university before I was a Pro- Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, I would have learnt so much, more equipped.”

     

     

  • Five things students can do while ASUU strike is on-going

    It seems like ASUU strike is not going to end again. Students have been at home for good five weeks now.

    The federal government and ASUU have held so many meetings on different occasions and not yielding any positive result that will make the students happy that resumption is near.

    While the ASUU strike has no hopeful ending at least for now, here are some things that students can do so as not to be idle before the FG agree to their demands.

    Acquire new skill

    This is the time where students can have time to acquire new skill relevant to their course of study. It could be tailoring, hair dressing, barbing, photography, videography, catering skills. Make use of the strike time judiciously and learn whatever you wish to learn. It does not only give you an edge and provide opportunities for a side hustle; but it will help in building your self-confidence and it will add value to your life with the time invested.

    Get a job

    While at home, you can also enrich your pocket with a little money. Get a job as an intern or assistant in an office or company. You can even get a job as a paid apprentice at a salon or creative studio. If you care, you can go for blogging and creating a functioning website that will help in spending your time wisely.

    The beauty of the internet is that you can get connected to so many job opportunities without necessarily breaking a sweat.

    Enroll for professional courses

    The university might be closed but there are other avenues for learning. You can enroll in short courses online or for professional classes that will grant you certain qualifications that may become relevant in future. Even if you do not have the money to pay for these courses, you can go for free ones on portals. You don’t necessarily have to get a certificate; the idea is to acquire new knowledge that will be relevant to your career goals or aspirations.

    Adventures

    This is the best period students have to travel out of their geographical area. There is never a bad time to travel. As a student, you can travel across states that are nearby that you have not visited or local villages with a history that you wish to know more about because there may be limitation of resources to embark on travels to different countries.

    It is also a great way for students to learn more about the world around you and open yourself to alternative cultures tradition and lifestyles. You could travel to other African cities or continents if you can afford it or you have a sponsor as well. The important thing though, is that you keep your ear on the ground while on your travels, so you are well informed when the strike is called off.

    Attends seminars and conference

    Attending seminars only improve your sense of reasoning and enlighten you more about how you can make use of yourself to be of a help to people around you and help you grow as person. Attend seminars that are relevant to your course of study so as to know more about your soon to be profession.

    The period at home may offer a great opportunity to improve on your social skills. Attend conferences and seminars as well as events. It does not have to be professional or vocational seminars or events. It could be events that offer opportunities to explore your hobbies or just to enjoy yourself. Also, it offers opportunities for networking and exposes you to new connections. It could be book readings, slam poetry competitions, meet-ups, concerts etc.

  • ASUU, Fed Govt to meet tomorrow

    THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is to resume talks tomorrow in Abuja with the Federal Government representatives regarding the implementation of the 2009 agreement between both parties.

    Its National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, told The Nation on phone that the union would attend the meeting and table its unfulfilled demands, which led the union to embark on an indefinite strike since August 13.

    “The latest is that they (government) have invited us for a meeting on Thursday.  We will attend and there present our demands before them,” he said.

    Last week, ASUU boycotted a meeting with the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, and the Education Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, which was to be hosted by Ngige in Abuja.

    The union’s demands include the non-registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO); payment of incomplete salaries in federal universities and gross under-funding/non-funding of state universities; and non-payment of arrears of earned academic allowances.

     

  • FG meets ASUU Thursday

    FG meets ASUU Thursday

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Thursday resume talks with the Federal Government on the implementation of the 2009 agreement signed by both parties.

    ASUU National president, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, told The Nation on phone that the union would attend the meeting and table its unfulfilled demands which caused the union to embark on indefinite strike.

    “The latest is that they (government) had invited us for a meeting on Thursday.  We will attend and present our demands before them,” he said.

    Last week, ASUU boycotted a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and his Education counterpart, Malam Adamu Adamu.

    The meeting was convened by Ngige.

    The union’s demands include the non-registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), payment of incomplete salaries in federal universities and gross under-funding/non-funding of state universities, non-payment of arrears of earned academic allowances, non release of funds for rehabilitation of public universities, non-implementation of guidelines for retirement benefits of professors and failure to exempt varsities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

  • Only FG can end strike – ASUU

    Only FG can end strike – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said on Monday that only the implementation of the agreement reached with the union by the Federal Government would end the strike and nothing more.

    ASUU described government’s handling of the issue as “mockery of global standards of university education.”

    The union asked federal government to use public funds to fund public education.

    The Chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, stated these while featuring in a program on Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS AM120) monitored in Ibadan.

    Omole, who said ASUU has never run away from negotiation, argued that the issue in connection with the strike is about implementation and not negotiation as disclosed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

    The ASUU chairman said it was sad that successive governments failed to realize that funding of education is an investment that would bring about enduring positive change in Nigeria.

    He said: “When you reached agreement you must implement it. They just finished Ileya festival and why are we celebrating? It was because someone promised to sacrifice his son to God. When he decided to fulfill it, God replaced that with ram and that is why we are celebrating. Jesus Christ also promised to come and die for the sin of the world and he came and fulfill that promise and that is why you still have people who believe in his second coming. Why will government not fulfill their promises contained in signed agreements? That is what brings crisis. Government should see education as investment. The products will come out to change society.

    “University is to develop ideas to change society. What we are doing in the universities is a mockery of university education. Government should pump in money so that we can solve Nigeria’s problems here in Nigeria.

    “If our universities are properly funded, we can conduct cutting edge researches that can take us out of the recession. What we are simply saying is the federal government should use public funds to fund public education.

    “Chris Ngige is naive. He should check his records and see if there are new demands in his file. University lecturers and students are not the one who created recession. The ruling class through their activities plunged Nigeria into recession. Government should stop establishing new universities if they cannot fund existing ones. Universities are not constituency project.”

     

  • Fed Govt, ASUU to resume negotiation this week

    NEGOTIATION between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the on-going strike by varsity teachers will resume after the Eid-el-Kabir, Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige has said

    In a statement issued by Mr. Samuel Olowookere, the ministry’s Deputy Director (Press), Ngige said the meeting would hold after the holidays as requested by the leadership of ASUU.

    He dispelled speculations of uncertainty over talks between the Federal Government and the union.

    “Engagement of the striking ASUU members is still being handled by ministers of Labour and Employment and the ministers of Education.

    “Issues of strike by an employee are a labour matter. The Minister of Labour and Employment is, therefore, synergising with his the Ministry of Education to resolve the dispute.

    “This is normal procedure in government, where ministers brief and report to the President or vice-president to streamline efforts and gains in a given assignment,” he said.

  • ASUU strike and “change begins with me”

    For the past two few weeks, the already suffering Public Tertiary Education in Nigeria has been grounded to a halt courtesy of the insensitivity of our leadership to the future of Nigeria which lies in proper investment in education. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had at an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of August 12, discussed among others the abysmal level of implementation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement, 2013 MoU and the shortfall in salaries leading to fractional payment of staff salaries. After exhaustive deliberations, the NEC of ASUU declared a total comprehensive and indefinite strike action beginning from Sunday August 13. This means that while the strike lasts, there shall be no teaching, no examination, no supervision, no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind and other matters. This withdrawal of service will bring suffering to the lives of the lecturers and their families (promotion delays, truncated examinations), the students (elongated stay and frustration) and their parents (more spending, more troubles and delayed rest), those whose livelihoods directly depends on a functional university (printers, typists, photocopiers, barbers, campus cab drivers) and the entire nation (national and international embarrassment, loss of man hour, and other costs etc).

    If these consequences are known, why do we keep allowing strikes to happen? Why will a government breach trust most of the time? Why do we have to ‘struggle’ and sweat to get legitimate things in Nigeria?

    Aside from the one-week warning strike in 2016 to make government do the needful, the major strike which lasted about six months started on July 1, 2013 and did not get suspended until December of that same year. I should not talk about the lives of students lost to accident and that of ASUU former President, Festus Iyayi who died in a fatal accident while going to attend ASUU meeting where a decision to end the strike was to be taken. The strike was to force government to fully implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement. This agreement has provision for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) for postgraduate supervision with Lecturer I (N15,000), Senior Lecturer (N20,000) and Professor (N25,000) per student respectively. Unfortunately since these years, students are being supervised on humanitarian grounds without pay. Till date, majority of lecturers are owed up to seven years by federal government to the tune of about N128billion while the agreement made provisions for the payment of N80, 000 for examining a Master thesis and N105,000 for PhD (external) and for internal examiners (Master thesis/N45,000 and N65,000 for PhD) respectively. But here in South-west, top universities, for instance pay N10,000 and N45,000 and yet owe for upward of five academic sessions. In the same Africa, a professor at University of Ibadan assessed a PhD thesis from South Africa and was paid close to $1,000!

    Another major grouse is the underfunding of the tertiary education as evident is downward review of education budget. President Buhari has not done well in this regard. In a Vanguard report of May 28, 2015 entitled ‘What Buhari Promised Nigerians’, the paper quoted him as promising to “Fully review provisions of the Universal Basic Education Act with emphasis on gender equity in primary, secondary school enrolment whilst improving the quality and substance of our schools, through outcome based education, that address the individual, family, and societal roles in education; and the associative skills and competencies that go with these responsibilities; targeting up to 20% of our annual budget for this critical sector whilst making substantial investments in training quality teachers at all levels of the educational system”. This has not been the case. In 2011, education got N306.3bn, it moved to N400.15bn in 2012, to N426.53bn in 2013, to N493bn in 2014, to N492bn in 2015, and nosedived to N369bn in 2016. ASUU had thought the National Assembly would input their demands in the 2017 budget but they got a shock as only six percent was allocated to education. It was therefore obvious that they were deceived into thinking their interests will be incorporated into the budget. While the agreement reached provided for federal government to inject N1.1trillion in six years to be paid in phases starting with N220billion in 2013, government is yet to make any other injection to make university education worth pursuing.

    The registration of the National University Pension Management Company (NUPENCO) is another reason for the strike. The union claims that rather than the usual N150million, it was asked to pay N1billion for a license but two years down the line, the federal government has failed to release the license while holding on to the money. They believe it was a strategy to make retirement life difficult for their members. To them, the money would have yielded interest wherever it has been fixed by the federal government.

    While successive governments continue to say there is no money, recovered looted funds run into trillions of naira while exotic cars go to the National Assembly. It is hypocrisy for public office holders not to honour agreements freely entered into by unions particularly those claiming to be better than the PDP government. But why should they care about the plight of children of the masses mostly attending public institutions? The leadership of the country from the presidency to the National Assembly have proudly published pictures of their graduating children who studied abroad on the social media. These children are to benefit soon with the enactment of the ‘not-to-young-to-run’. Yet they cannot provide same for their countrymen. Why will the federal government take ASUU to court on the issue of University Staff School yet found it difficult to obey court ruling on same issue?

    Why should a lecturer be supervising students on credit as being presently done? How else can the federal government encourage corruption other than denying people their entitlements? What more can we say about a government who prefers to recover looted funds while creating loopholes to further corruption? ASUU fights for the future and not for today but those in government are interested in what they will see today while securing only the future of their family. Those the leadership failed to cater for in the past are the ones kidnapping and terrorizing the country.

    In the days ahead, we should therefore expect increasing social deviance and crime and other cadres of social problems should the federal government not re-write history by commencing the implementation of outstanding issues with ASUU. If those at the National Assembly are graduates, they should show further commitments to education. Whether ‘too young to run’ or ‘not too young to run’, the political class must carry along the masses if they hope to have peace in the future. As ASUU says, a time will come when the children of the poor will have nothing left to eat but the rich. It is shameful not to honor agreement. As stated by ASUU president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi in his press conference of July 18, 2016 “total implementation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement especially the funding for revitalization and other service-related conditions, registration of NUPEMCO will not only increase access but also ensure industrial harmony and sustainable scheduling in the system”. Now that the federal government through the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has taken responsibility for the ongoing strike, let the change begin with the Muhammadu Buhari government for a positive turn-around in public education.

    • Dr Tade, a criminologist sent this piece from Ibadan.
  • FG, ASUU to resume negotiation after Eid-el-Kabir

    FG, ASUU to resume negotiation after Eid-el-Kabir

    Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige says negotiation between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will resume after Eid-el-Kabir.

    In a statement issued by Mr Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director (Press) in the ministry, Ngige said the meeting would hold shortly after the holidays as requested by the leadership of ASUU.

    He also dispelled speculations of uncertainty over talks between the Federal Government and the union.

    “Engagement of the striking ASUU members is still being handled by ministers of Labour and Employment and the ministers of Education.

    “Issues of strike by an employee are a labour matter. The Minister of Labour and Employment is, therefore, synergising with his the Ministry of Education to resolve the dispute.

    “This is normal procedure in government where ministers brief and report to the president or vice-president to streamline efforts and gains in a given assignment,’’ he said.(NAN)