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Tag: lecturers

  • Yobe medical college hires Egyptian, Nigerian lecturers

    Yobe medical college hires Egyptian, Nigerian lecturers

    The Yobe State University of Medical Sciences has hired senior officials to facilitate the take-off of its programmes.

    Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, in a statement by his spokesman Abdullahi Bego, said the governor had “given approval for the recruitment of additional personnel into the newly-established College of Medical Sciences of the Yobe State University on permanent, pensionable and sabbatical basis.’’

    The statement reads: “The recruitments cover both academic and non-academic cadres. Those recruited include three professors and two PhD holders from Egypt and 30 Nigerians, including a Professor of Human Physiology, 18 Graduate Assistants, 11 Laboratory Technologists and Assistant Laboratory Technologists.”

    Governor Gaidam earlier approved the appointment of a provost for the college.

  • Lecturers stage one-day sit-in protest

    Lecturers stage one-day sit-in protest

    Lecturers at the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi State, on Tuesday, staged a one-day sit-in strike, to protest alleged non-promotion of staff, among other grievances.
    The placard-carrying lecturers massed in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office chanting slogans.
    Some of the placards read, “Our Mumu Don Do”, “Lead or leave”, “Sunset in Tetfund”, “Bad Regime the Road to Precipice, Misery and Depression”.
    The demonstration which began around 8am, jolted the students who had arrived the premises earlier, in the hope that lectures will continue uninterrupted despite the ongoing strike by the members of the local chapter of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), including the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU).
    Addressing pressmen on some the issues, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, FUL (ASUU-FUL), Dr Anselm Oyem, said the protest will end by 4pm, adding that the response of the university administration will determine their next step of action.
    He said that the union had in the past tabled its grievances before the authorities, but are yet to be addressed on steps being taken to redress them.
    Addressing newsmen during the sit-in, Dr Oyem said that they will no longer remain silent over the lack of response of the management team to their grievances.
    “Our rights and privileges are being tampered with. Since 2016, no promotion to professorship despite there are many qualified for it. Also, lecturers with masters degree are yet to be upgraded to their deserving position. Same goes for other ranks.
    “TETFUND monies are being withheld by the management thereby causing difficulties for lecturers who are to benefit from its scholarship to access it.
    “Since NASU commenced strike, we clean ad sweep our offices by ourselves, just because we don’t want the school calendar to be truncated.
    “Our departmental running cost are not release. For a while now the management had sit on our impress”.
    Addressing the protesting lecturers on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice, Prof. Makanjuola Oshagbemi, said that the issues tabled were being looked into.
    He said those within the ambit of the management will be addressed, and the second part of the demand that they tabled, “which are not entire ours to handle, we will help in getting resolved.
    Item said that the school management had turned deaf ears to their demands and refused to respond to their numerous letters stating  their demands.
    The students were seen standing around the school premises in groups, while some formed into tutorial classes.
  • Lecturers to join Osun indefinite strike

    Lecturers to join Osun indefinite strike

    Lecturers in Osun State-owned tertiary institutions have said they will join the indefinite strike labour unions began on Wednesday.

    Public workers are protesting payment of modulated salaries.

    The lecturers at the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree; Osun State College of Technology at Esa-Oke and the colleges of education at Ilesa and Ila-Orangun, said they were joining the strike to demand full salaries.

    In a statement yesterday by its Chairman, Mr. Olusegun Lana, and Secretary, Sikiru Folorunso, the lecturers, under the aegis of the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun Stat-owned Tertiary Institutions, said the strike would start on January 15.

    The lecturers noted that besides “half-salaries, which we have been receiving in the past 27 months,” they were protesting outrageous tax, unfulfilled agreement on staffing, selective reinstatement of sacked workers and contributory pensions.

    They claimed that they gave Governor Rauf Aregbesola a 21-day ultimatum on November 7, adding that over a month after the expiration of the ultimatum, he had not addressed the issues.

    The lecturers also said they had written letters and called for dialogue to which they claimed the governor had not responded.

    The statement said: “This is to inform all members of our great unions that consequent upon the concurrent resolutions of the respective congresses of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) across the four state-owned tertiary institutions, we have issued a notice of indefinite strike with effect from January 15, 2018.

    “Government has not shown any seriousness towards addressing our painful plight as we have been subjected to untold hardship, frustrations and unprecedented levels of demoralisation by the harsh effects of unaddressed festering issues, including but not limited to perpetual half-salaries (now up to 27 months), which our unions were never in agreement to; unfulfilled collective agreements on staffing and proper composition of governing councils; selective justice in the reinstatement of disengaged members of staff.”

    Also, the Osun State chapter of the Community Development Council (O’CDC,) has implored striking civil servants to be patient with the government.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Osogbo, the capital, the council’s Assistant Secretary, Amosun Ismaila, urged workers to suspend their action and dialogue with the government.

    Ismaila, who spoke on behalf of the state Chairman, Alhaji Yisa Abubakar, advised leaders of labour unions and representatives of the state to work together in the interest of the state.

    He said: “The Community Development Council of Osun State, which is a community organisation poised to harnessing resources to revamp and develop the state, therefore, appeals to the workers’ unions to be more patient, as they are the engine room of the government, which ensures the continuation of developmental programmes and projects of the state government.

    “As a matter of fact, a strike is a legitimate means for workers to press home their demands. It is a real fact that the state government and other stakeholders have been trying to resolve the issue. Workers should be persuaded by the fact that the political office holders in the state are also being paid 50 per cent of their total pay due to the current economic crisis.

    “We equally realise the yearnings of our teeming workers in the state on the issue of promotion, which is regarded as a statutory obligation of the government… But we are of the opinion that government knows this and must adequately attend to it as a matter of urgency. We should all resolve to sit at a round table for a thorough discussion…

    “We believe Mr. Governor understood the plight of the workers and has given his word that there will be a great improvement the moment we have a good turnaround in our economy at the state and local government levels.

    “We must remind our dear workers that the government, as we all know, has genuine commitment to settle all outstanding salary liabilities as soon as the economy improves in the New Year.”

  • Don’t distort information on sacked lecturers, LASU tells ASUU

    Don’t distort information on sacked lecturers, LASU tells ASUU

    Authorities of Lagos State University (LASU) have urged the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) not to plunge the institution into a fresh crisis by feeding the public with false information on 16 of their colleagues who the university sacked last September.

    LASU said the current peace on its campus was the result of the reform and an all-inclusive governance style it administered for the acceptance of all parties.

    A statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ademola Adekoya, said: “The call for crisis by the few discredited ones among them is mischievous and self-serving and should be completely disregarded and ignored.”

    The university management was reacting to a report by ASUU’s Lagos Zone which urged the Lagos State government to set up an independent panel of enquiry to review the case of the sacked lecturers, who included the chairman and vice chairman of ASUU at LASU, Isaac Akinloye Oyewunmi and Adeyemi Suenu.

    ASUU’s Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Prof Olusiji Sowande, accused the university of conniving with certain elements in government to victimise their colleagues.

    ASUU also accused LASU management of high-handedness, disregard for due process as well as undue victimisation of their members, now led by ASUU-LASU Treasurer, Dr Oluwakemi Aboderin-Sonibare.

    Adekoya regretted that ASUU was more concerned about the two union leaders than the others.

    The university said ASUU was playing the ostrich, adding that the management’s decision was in line with LASU’s Condition of Service.

    The statement said: “What they (ASUU) failed to tell the public was that the sack of the two, alongside others, was in line with the Conditions of Service of the university. They refused to state that the allegations against the sacked workers were, ab initio, brought forward by the victims of their indiscretion in some cases, and or staff members from their own local union (ASUU-LASU).

    “In fact, the information that led to the dismissal of a number of the academic workers, who were dismissed, was given by officials of ASUU-LASU executive before further checks revealed that a member of the executive was himself culpable.”

    It added: “All cases went through impartial statutory committees, which established their culpability on the various acts of misconduct before the university’s Governing Council, its highest decision-making body, ratified the dismissals.”

    LASU said the union’s call for the state government to set up an independent panel of enquiry was like chasing shadows.

    It added that by the Edict that established LASU, a statutory panel of enquiry to appraise the activities of the union only comes up every 10 years, and the institution is not yet due for that.

    “Supporting impunity and illegality of individuals and shielding them from due sanctions, because they are union executives casts a shadow of doubt on the integrity of ASUU leadership as a body,” the statement stated.

    “For ASUU to continue in this path of dishonour portends grave danger for the future of our universities and every concerned stakeholder must rise up to save our ivory towers from further onslaught.”

  • Poly lecturers begin indefinite strike

    Academic activities in the nation’s polytechnics will be disrupted from today as members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) begin an indefinite strike action to press government to meet their demands.

    The union accused the Federal Ministry of Education of treating polytechnic education with levity.

    It accused the ministry of failing to attend a conciliatory meeting called by the Ministry of Labour and Employment aimed at resolving their demands, noting that the ministry only sent a deputy director without a mandate to attend the meeting.

    ASUP National President Usman Y. Dutse said the union was declaring a total and indefinite strike, adding that the government was using endless verification exercises to delay the payment of entitlements of the union’s members.

    He said while the union is not against government carrying out verification exercises, it should not be endless and the exercise should not be used to denied workers their rights.

  • Polytechnic lecturers begin strike on Monday

    Polytechnic lecturers begin strike on Monday

    Academic activities in the nation’s polytechnics will be disrupted from Monday, November 13, 2017 as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) commence an indefinite strike to press government to meet their demands.

    The union accused the Ministry of Education of  failing to attend a conciliatory meeting called by the Ministry of Labour and Employment aimed at resolving their demands.

    It said the Ministry only sent a deputy director without a mandate to attend the meeting.

    National President of the union, Comrade Usman  Dutse said the union was declaring a total and indefinite strike, adding that the government was using endless verification exercises to delay the payment of entitlements of members of the union.

    He said while the union is not against government carrying out verification exercises, it should not endless and the exercise should not be used to denied workers their rights.

    He said that despite the 21 days notice given to the government, they did not consider it necessary to address their demands for an improved funding of polytechnic education in the country, adding that an additional seven days given to the government has also not yielded any positive result.

    “Our union is constrained to lament again that our sector is on the verge of collapse and needs all the emergency attention it urgently deserves. Until now, it should be noted that the issues raised here today have been there since 2014 and none of these issues has since 2014 been concretely resolved to improve the sector.

    “It is against this background that we wish to remind governments at all levels and indeed all Nigerians that we cannot continue to be complacent in the face of imminent and seemly strategic annihilation of a sector that feeds and caters for millions of youths and families. 

    “A sector that if well harnessed will boost Nigeria’s technological know–how, improve ICT, create millions of employment opportunities and raise the level of both theoretical and practical technological literacy.”

    The polytechnic lecturers are demanding the implementation of the NEEDS assessment report which recommended the injection of N6.5 billion into the polytechnic education in 2014.

    They said the amount has risen to about N8 billion, adding that without Imo,emerging the report, the essence of using tax payers money to embark on the  exercise is wasted.

    They are also demanding passage of the Amendment Bill of the Polytechnics Act, noting that “the delay and indifference to the passage of this bill is viewed as a ploy to fester chaos and continued crises in the sector. Recall that this bill passed through public hearing since December 2016.”

    He said “One wonders why an all important bill such as this still remains unattended to even when assurances have been extracted from the Senate Committee on this bill, our regulatory agencies and ministry of education. 

    “Passing this bill will go a long way to resolving majority of the contending issues in the sector, reduce conflicts, improve on the efficiency levels of the administrative organs and ultimately bring the sector in tune with global best practices. Same bill died with the 6th and 7th assemblies and the current effort is now being threatened to go same way as it is stuck in the Senate since the public hearing in December, 2016.”

    They also want the government to pay the shortfall in Personnel Releases and Withdrawal of Allowances and  emoluments due to cuts in personnel releases which it said  has persisted till date and accused government of “withdrawing allowances which hitherto were part of salaries.”

    “Equally, unpaid arrears of promotions have continued to mount. While verifications of staff have been conducted over and over, only five institutions have received repayment of their 2016 shortfalls. This situation is compounded by the continued penchant of Governing Councils to siphon the meagre internal resources of institutions in order to assuage their unbridled appetite for luxury.”

    They are also not happy with the sorry state of state government owned polytechnics and monotechnics which they said have continued to be in deplorable conditions, with salaries of staff not paid while union officials are victimized.

    Also included in their demand is the Release of CONTISS 15 Migration arrears that has lingered since 2011 when the approval to migrate to the CONTISS 15 salary scale was secured from the government effective 2009.

    “Since then, only the upper cadre has been fully taken care of. Staffs in the lower cadre are being short changed since then as they are yet to get the full benefit of this policy. In response, government continues to set up committees without terminal dates and any meaningful response to the union’s protests.

    “It is worthy to note that a lot of these issues constitute violations of the agreement signed between our union and the government in 2010. This is in tandem with the now well documented penchant of government to renege on agreements. Recently efforts to address these issues led to the convening, on the 24th of October 2017, of a conciliatory meeting by the Federal Ministry of Labour in Abuja. 

    “Curiously, the ministry in eye of the storm (The Federal Ministry of Education) was so poorly represented that no memorandum of action was agreed upon. This clearly showed the level of disdain and disrespect with which issues of the polytechnic sector are being handled by relevant agencies of government.

    “In view of the above, our union rising from this emergency meeting hereby resolved to commence an indefinite and comprehensive strike action effective 13th November, 2017. This action shall be sustained until our demands are met or an implementable memorandum of action is agreed upon by our union and relevant agencies of government.

    “We therefore call on well meaning Nigerians and indeed the public to prevail on the government to do the needful and avoid this imminent shutdown of the sector on an indefinite basis.”

  • We won’t succumb to threat, Oyo govt tells lecturers

    We won’t succumb to threat, Oyo govt tells lecturers

    The Oyo State government has told lecturers in the six state-owned tertiary institutions that it will not succumb to threat in addressing their grievances.

    The government advised the workers to be reasonable.

    It denied owning workers 15 months.

    Academic and non-academic workers’ unions in the six government-owned tertiary institutions issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to pay their outstanding salaries or face an indefinite strike.

    The unions reached the decision at a meeting of delegates from the six schools.

    The ultimatum took effect from last Friday, when the decision was taken.

    The affected schools are: The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education at Oyo; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology at Igboora; The Ibarapa Polytechnic at Eruwa; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic at Saki and College of Education at Lanlate.

    Reacting to the ultimatum, Commissioner for Education Science and Technology Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela noted that although the state will not deny owing workers, it was not owing 15 months, as the workers claimed.

    The commissioner said the government had never relented in paying the approved 25 per cent subvention to schools, adding that the government is planning to audit schools’ accounts to block leakages.

    He said this would enable the government to know the financial status and needs of each school.

  • We will not succumb to threat, Oyo replies lecturers

    We will not succumb to threat, Oyo replies lecturers

    Oyo state government has lashed out at the lecturers of the six state-owned tertiary institutions saying that it would not succumb to any form of threat in addressing whatever grievances they have.

    However, the government which appealed to the workers to thread the path of reasoning denied the allegations of owning the workers to the tune of 15 months salaries arrears.

    Academic and non-academic staff unions working in the institutions issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to pay their 15 months outstanding salaries, failure of which might compel them to embark on an indefinite strike action.

    The decision on the 14 days ultimatum was reached at the end of a meeting of delegates from the affected six schools. The ultimatum takes immediate effect from last week Friday that the decision was reached.

    The affected schools are The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, The Ibarapa polytechnic, Eruwa, The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, and College of Education, Lanlate.

    The state’s commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela while reacting to the ultimatum and issue of 15 months salaries arrears said although the state would not deny owing the workers, but, it is not 15 months across the board as claimed by the workers.

    While stating that the state government has never relented in paying the approved 25 percent subventions to all the schools, he noted that what the government was trying to do is it audit the schools as a way of blocking leakages and then know the true financial needs of each school from facts and findings if the government audit committee.

    He assured that government is not unaware of the challenges facing the institutions but that, the era of largesse and frivolous spending is over in the tertiary institutions noting that the state government currently spends 100 percent of her allocation on paying core workers salaries and only relying on her internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and others to fund other commitments in the state.

    “The point is that when things are generalized, there is always a misconception, the position of Oyo state government is that education will be supported including the welfare of staff in all sectors including all tertiary institutions, but the point is that the era of wastages is over. We must know the financial positions of all the institutions and do what we must do as a government to block leakages.

    “Let me state that when I saw the report, I also made some consultations, Oyo state government has been giving subventions to virtually all the 7 institutions in the state on a regular basis. The complaint is that that subvention is not sufficient. We are not claiming that it is sufficient but our own claim is that until we know the exact figure of what we need to put in that is what we will support them with. When you give an ultimatum, it is just to show anger or something but what we are saying is that, as government, we believe in facts and figures.

    “What have we done? What we have done is that all the tertiary institutions in the state, we have sent auditors to those institutions and they have given us some preliminary reports on some of the institutions. We will get the comprehensive report soon. Once we get the comprehensive reports, in terms of facts and figures, we will do the needful as a government. And the management will also do the needful. We are appealing to the members of the tertiary institutions that they should give peace a chance. We don’t want a repeat of Lautech crisis again in the state.  And as you can see that the Lautech issues have been resolved, all these issues will also be resolved soon.”

  • LASU asks dismissed lecturers to stay away

    Lagos State University (LASU) yesterday warned the 15 academic and two non-academic employees dismissed last week to stay away from its campus.

    The university, in a statement by its Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) Ademola Adekoya, said some of the dismissed workers were sneaking into campus with the intention of ‘initiating violence and breakdown of law and order’.

    LASU said its Governing Council is its highest decision making body, and its decision on the dismissed workers must be respected by all.

    “The university authority hereby reiterates that all individuals who have been dismissed should stay away from the premises of Lagos State University henceforth,” the statement stated.

  • 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)