The Nation Newspaper

Tag: protest

  • Military pensioners set for nationwide protest

    •Govt accused of discrepancy in pensions

    Military pensioners are planning a nationwide strike against the Federal Government for its alleged failure to meet its pension obligation to pensioners.

    The protest, the military pensioners said, would climax on July 13 at the Aso Rock gate in Abuja at 9 a.m.

    Speaking with our reporter in Enugu, the protest coordinator, Col. Azubuike Nass (retd), said: “We continue to demand our pension rights. We have paid our dues in patriotic service to this nation. We deserve our pension rights when we are alive, not when we are dead.

    “This nation is not too poor to pay our constitutional pensions. We cannot be intimidated into silence on this matter.

    “We (military pensioners) are yet to see any clear sign of being paid part of our pension arrears. Information at our disposal indicates that parts of the arrears were collated by government in September 2015 and included in the 2016 budget draft. Thirty-three per cent arrears, which is government-accepted and computed sum, with official circular to relevant Federal Government offices dealing with pension issues, was understood to be in the budget.”

    Nass queried: “Were our arrears a victim of bureaucratic falsification and mutilation that occurred in Budget 2016? Was it cut down or expunged by the National Assembly in its ‘scrutinisation’? Or, is it covered in a different sub-head yet to be clarified?”

    The military pensioners were sceptical that “Mr President is most likely unaware of the true situation,” adding: “We need to do something to bring the issue to Mr President’s attention.”

    Insisting that 53 per cent pay increase for pensioners was duly approved by the Federal Government in 2010, following similar public service pay increase of 2009 and in accordance with the provisions of Section 173 of the Constitution.

    They regretted that government resisted to pay it for years.

  • OAU shut down indefinitely

    OAU shut down indefinitely

    The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State was shut down Wednesday following workers protest over appointment of the institution’s new vice chancellor, Prof. Ayobami Salami.

    Workers of the OAU under the aegis of Non Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (SSANU) till Wednesday intensified their protest over non-payment of allowances and alleged imposition of a Vice-Chancellor despite the ‘no work’, ‘no pay’ threat by the university’s authorities.

    The workers, who claimed that the new Vice Chancellor’s appointment was illegal, vowed to stop him from resuming office Thursday.

    The authorities shut down the university less than two days to the expiration of the tenure of the outgoing vice chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole.

    In a public announcement, monitored on Ife-based radio station, the university Registrar, Dotun Awoyemi, explained that the closure was to ensure the safety of students and staff.

    On the radio anouncement he said: “We have shut down the university indefinitely pending the time that we will resolve issues with our workers – NASU and SSANU. We have asked our newly students to go home and postponed the resumption of old students indefinitely.”

    The old students of the university are expected to resume next week after a two-month break.

     

  • Workers’ protest: Oyo APC hails Ajimobi over peace stance

    Workers’ protest: Oyo APC hails Ajimobi over peace stance

    Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s “penchant for peace, egalitarianism and societal” growth.

    The commendation followed the spirited efforts made by the governor to tackle the crisis, which his administration’s education initiative, tagged: “Partnership Management of Public Secondary Schools in Oyo State”, has generated.

    In a statement issued through its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, the APC expressed its satisfaction with the handling of the protests arising from opposition to the school management initiative.

    It reads: “Immediately it became obvious that some fifth columnists were ready to capitalise on the prevailing situation to cause civil unrest in order to continue their political war with the APC government in the state, Ajimobi personally took up the gauntlet and turned the challenge to an advantage by engaging the public in what has turned to be unprecedented crisis management approach through public communication.

    “The world has again been made to see the rare quality of leadership in the governor, who had to move from one media station to another as he faced both journalists and members of the public who sought clarification on many salient issues concerning his stewardship and challenges of governance.

    “For four days consecutively, the governor toured many media houses and played host to many others in an excruciating task simply to disabuse the minds of the people, give account of his stewardship and unfold his future plans for the state.”

  • Protest greets appointment of new OAU VC Salami

    Protest greets appointment of new OAU VC Salami

    Protest yesterday greeted the appointment of  Prof. Taofeek Salami  as new vice chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

    The appointment of Salami, who is deputy vice chancellor (Academics) , was announced by the Governing Council of the university at a meeting on Monday in Abuja.

    There had been legal tussle on the position.

    The non-teaching staff of the university, including Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), kicked against the procedure for the selection.

    The workers yesterday embarked on protest against the choice of Prof. Salami.

    They alleged that he was sponsored to replace Prof. Bamitale Omole “to cover his deeds in office”.

    The workers alleged that Prof. Omole “mismanaged money” belonging to the university.

    The situation degenerated to a stage where the workers reportedly chased their colleagues out of their offices and even locked some of them in.

    The protest affected ongoing orientation courses for the university’s fresh students, who just resumed two weeks ago.

    The old students are expected to return into the campus on June 25.

    The outgoing vice chancellor and other top management staff were not available for comment yesterday.

    Prof. Salami is also a former director, Institute of Ecology in the university.

  • Workers protest alleged non-payment of salary

    Workers protest alleged non-payment of salary

    Some workers with the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment yesterday staged a peaceful protest to the House of Assembly over the non-payment of their five months salaries.

    The workers, from the Emergency Abatement Department, sang songs depicting their hardship.

    One of them, Miss Esther Ayo, a Drainage Attendant, urged the lawmakers to save them from their suffering.

    Ayo said: “Last year, we were owed five months but after protest to this House, the debt was offset in December though N11, 000 was deducted each from the sum.

    “Till now, the ministry has not only kept promising to pay the deducted money but has failed to pay us a dime since the beginning of this year. We live only on this salary and nothing is attached.

    “I will be 11 years on this job by the end of June, we want the assembly to facilitate the payment of our salary and ensure that our appointments are made permanent.”

    Her colleague, Mr Ashiru Abideen, said the ministry failed to furnish him and his colleagues with necessary safety kits and gadgets to carry out their duties.

    “Despite the meagre N15,000 we are paid per month, we are not usually paid on time. Last year, we were not paid for five months, until in January this year when this was paid.

    “But as I am talking to you now, we are yet to be paid for this year. We are provided with no working kits; we have no gloves, no boots or any other safety equipment.

    “Each time we go out to work, we pack wastes with our bare hands, and are expected to step into drainages with no protective boots. This is not ideal for anybody,” he said.

    He begged for a review of their status, so and upward review of their salaries.

    Abideen, who works with the Environmental Services Consultancy Unit (ESCU), said after spending about 15 years in the ministry, he remains a casual worker with a meagre salary of N15,000 per month.

    Mr Rasheed Yusuf, said he had been living from hand to mouth in the last few months.

    “We appeal to the Lagos State government to come to our aid so that not only will the money owed us be paid, but subsequently, our salaries are paid as when due,” Yusuf said.

    Addressing the protesters, the Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade, praised them for their peaceful conduct and their faith in the parliament to resolve the matter.

    Agunbiade, who advised the protesters to send a petition, promised that the assembly would intervene in the matter.

    He directed the protesters to appoint five representatives to meet with the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Dayo Saka-Fafunmi.

  • Protest in Osun over location of new council headquarters

    Protest in Osun over location of new council headquarters

    Angry indigenes of Ada, Aagba and Ororuwo communities in Osun  State, yesterday protested against naming Iree the headquarters of the newly created Boripe North Local Local Council Dvelopment Area.

    The communities were formerly under Boripe Local Government before the creation of the new LCDA.

    The protesters, including youths and market women carried placards and moved around the three communities to express their dissatisfaction about the position of the state government on the matter.

    Speaking with reporters, the chairman of Ada Development Council, Mr.Adewale Olugbemiga Abimbola, said that the protest was meant to let the state government know that it has done a great injustice to the three communities by going against the wishes of their people and making Iree the headquaters of the new LCDA.

    He said: “Following the announcement of Iree as the purported headquarters of Boripe North Local Council Development Area by the government of State of Osun on the 8th of March, 2016, the three communities of Ada, Aagba and Ororuwo that jointly presented and requested for the location of the Boripe North LCDA headquarters at Modaa, Ada spontaneously and unanimously registered their objection and dissatisfaction via a letter of protest dated March12, 2016.

    “The said letter of protest was addressed to Governor Rauf Aregbesola and was presented to him by the combined entourage of eminent personalities led by the three traditional rulers of Ada, Aagba and Ororuwo during their visit of14th March, 2016 to the Government House in Osogbo.”

    He disclosed that the communities after several consultations and review of the issue across the strata of traditional rulers, council of chiefs, religious groups, opinion and political leaders, youths, market men and women, then resolved to hold a stakeholder’s meeting of the three communities on March 29, 2016 at Olona’s Palace, Ada.

    According to him, through the communique signed by the Olona of Ada, Oba Abimbola Olalekan Abioye II, the Alaagba of Aagba, Oba Rufus Ilufemiloye Ogunwole Kujosin I and the Regent of Ororuwo, High Chief James Kolapo Dada, the three communities made some demands from the state government.

    He said the communities have resolved to press further their demand with “this protest because the state government is not taking any concrete step to redress “this ungodly and inhuman act against our collective sensibitity.”

    Earlier, the chairman of Aagba Develooment Council, Hon. Anthony Oladipupo, read out their five-point demands as contained in the comminique.

    He said the three communities would remain undaunted in their request for Modaa, Ada as the headquarters of Boripe North LCDA.

    Also, the chairman of Ororuwo Development Council, Mr. Folorunso Oderinu, wondered how Iree, which he said was never part of agitation for new LCDA with the three communities could be made the headquarters.

  • LASU students threaten protest over ban of commercial buses

    Students of the Lagos State University (LASU) have threatened to puncture the peace gradually returning to the troubled institution, if the university management insists on banning their commercial bus operations outside campus.

    The management of LASU last Friday announced the banning of LASU Students’ Union (LASUSU) commercial buses from operating outside the campus, while spelling out “one or two years’ rustication” as penalty for defaulters.

    The Management dissociated itself from all branded buses with logos like – LASU Students Union Government (SUG), LASU Aluta Shuttle, Aluta Jet, among others, saying they have no official or unofficial connections with the 33-year old institution.

    At a press conference last Friday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Lanre Fagbohun, represented by the Chairman, Students Disciplinary Committee, Prof Leke Fakoya, announced that the institution was dissociating itself from the commercial buses branded as student union property because of the incessant clashes between students and operators of the buses, as well as their use to flout traffic laws and evade taxes hiding under the university’s image.

    The SU leaders of the institution however claimed that they were not consulted before the policy was announced.  They also accused the university for not doing anything to address the perennial transportation challenges faced by the over 15,000 students of the institution, yet recently provided two buses for workers.

    “We wonder how the same management that always clamours for peace, and sues for dialogue on campus would go ahead to implement such an anti-student policy without any consultation with the Students’ Union Government.

    “If we record any arrest of our shuttle outside the university by any of the law enforcement agencies, we assure the management that the union will also scrap the existing peace between the union and the management,” the leaders said in a statement signed by the LASUSU President, Sekoni Tayo, and the Public Relations Officer (PRO0, Motunrayo Ayomide.

    Copies of the statement tagged: ‘LASUSU rejects management stance on shuttle buses’ were sent to the Lagos State Government, the Vice Chancellor, Lagos State Transport Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service.

    The SU said the campus shuttle has been in operation for over two decades and therefore it would not sit back and watch management kill some of the legacies of its founding leaders.

  • Protests mar Kwara PDP congress

    Protests mar Kwara PDP congress

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state congress in Kwara state was characterized with protests by aggrieved party members.

    While a group wanted the incumbent executive of the party led by Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo to return unopposed, another group preferred voting to elect new leadership for the party.

    The situation led to unnecessary delay in accreditation of delegates.

    The irreconcilable differences led to non accreditation of delegates of delegates from Kwara central zone in the exercise that lasted till wee hours of Wednesday.

    Disenchanted members of the party led by Senator Ayinla Folorunsho, vowed to resist affirmation being introduced by the incumbent state executive committee of the party.

    They accused the state chairman of the party, Iyiola Oyedepo, of a plan to scuttle the process of injecting new blood into the executive of the party with his insistence affirmation instead of congress as directed by the national body of the party.

    Addressing reporters Wednesday in Ilorin, Folorunsho warned that angry members of the party would not allow the congress to hold provided the incumbent executive insisted on affirmation.

    He threatened that in the event that the state executive failed to conduct the congress, members of the party would be left with no option than to convey its grievances to the national headquarters of the party.

    He said that “there is supposed to be PDP congress, and that is what is going on. But there is a mixture of things. The present executive wants to do affirmation. We members of the PDP want a congress. It is the congress that the national leadership of the party asked us to do, and all along, the state chairman has been saying that there would be no congress, that they are going to do affirmation. We members of the party are not going to allow affirmation but congress.
    “It was the national body that announced that all states except Kogi, Edo and Ondo, all the rest including FCT must go for congresses.”

    Also speaking, another member of the party, Dr Abdulganiyu Abdulbaki, said the current executive of the party wanted to perpetuate its impunity while members would not allow such to recur.

    He called for the dissolution of the current executive of the party to pave the way for the emergence of new people with fresh ideas.

    Abdulbaki also warned that things would not go down well with members of the party if the duly recognised list was not used at the congress.

    Meanwhile, the state police command said it has arrested nine persons for alleged public disturbance during the congress.

     

  • Protest in Ife over murder of septuagenarian

    Members of the Ife Zonal Contractors and Sawmiller Association  will today protest the murder of their 75-year-old trustee, High Chief Moses Elutilo.

    He was hacked to death by an armed group of hoodlums last Monday.

    It was gathered that the deceased reportedly received a message to come to a meeting at Atagilere Plank Hall, Ita -Osa,  Ondo Road, Ile-Ife at 8am.

    Elutilo, the Akannare of Ile-Ido Ife, was said to be at the meeting with Sarun, Chief Yemi Oriowo, a traditional aide of the Ooni, when the assailants attacked him and others.

    The chairman of the association, Babatunde Eluyera aka Theory, who was also marked to be killed, escaped by the whiskers.

    Eluyera linked the attacks to their stand against abuse of the Shasha Government Forest Reserves in Ife.

    An eye witness said when the deceased got to the meeting at 10 am, he was asked to lead the opening prayer but in the middle of the prayer, the hoodlums invaded the meeting and attacked those in attendance.

    The source, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “As soon as he stood up, he was attacked by armed men who hacked him. They used axes and matchets on everyone.”

    Elutilo, who died before getting to the hospital, was the star witness in a land dispute before Justice A. A. Onibokun of the State High Court, Ile-Ife.

    Two suspects- Adekunle Azeez and Ogunjimi Gbenga- have been arrested.

    The investigation is being handled by the state Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo.

  • Protest as LASTMA officials kill tanker driver in Lagos

    Protest as LASTMA officials kill tanker driver in Lagos

    There was pandemonium along the Oshodi expressway, after some officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority  (LASTMA) killed a tanker driver identified as Salisu Sani, 30.
    The incident which occurred at about 6:20am at Sanya, halted traffic for almost eight hours on the busy road, as rampaging youths burnt tyres on the expressway.
    Chanting that they were tired of harassment from LASTMA, the youths comprising tanker drivers and Hausa Community rebuffed all entreaties from the Rapid Response Squad  (RRS), Festac Police Division and soldiers to leave the road.
    It was gathered that the driver of the Premium Motor Spirit  (PMS) laden tanker marked ABJ 758XD beside Port Terminal to observe his morning prayers when the LASTMA team numbering about four struck.
    The team comprising three officials in uniform and another wearing mufti accosted the motorboy who was praying on the culvert and asked him where his driver was.
    According to the motorboy, Nurudeen Abdulahi, he showed them where his driver was and one of them went and met him.
    “They were arguing. I think it was about money. As the driver and one of the LASTMA men were arguing, another one entered the trailer and was driving it off.
    “The driver rushed down and asked the man why he was driving his tanker. He told the man that his tanker was on the service lane and that if he wanted to arrest him, he should have told him to come and drive his vehicle to wherever they wanted to take him.
    “The man did not listen. He was still driving the tanker and so the driver ran and was climbing the vehicle through the passenger side.
    “By this time, two of the LASTMA people have returned into their vehicle and they had driven off.
    “So, as the driver mounted the trailer from the passenger side, the LASTMA man who was on the ground dragged his clothe, pulling him to the ground.
    “As soon as he fell, the LASTMA vehicle that went to turn, crushed him on the head. As soon as the one on the ground saw that they have crushed him, he told the man on the steering that he was dead and they both entered the vehicle and all of them escaped, without parking the tanker well. I was the one who applied the hand brakes before taking my driver to the hospital.
    “There was only one tanker behind me. I saw what happened from where I said my prayers and when I rushed to the scene, my driver was bleeding from his head.
    “I called a tri-cyclist and begged him to assist me. We took the driver to a private hospital but the doctor there said we should take him to general hospital. By the time we got to general hospital, the doctor said he was dead,” said Abdulahi.
    Continuing, Abdulahi who said the driver was his Kaduna state brother, told The Nation that the deceased was married with three children.
    While some eyewitnesses corroborated the motorboy’s claim, others said it was the LASTMA official inside the trailer that pushed the deceased after hitting him on the neck with a gun.
    One Chike Uwadi who said he was on his way to work, told The Nation that he saw the LASTMA official pushed the deceased from the passenger side of the trailer.
    “I saw the guy climbing the vehicle from the passenger side and then the LASTMA official pushed him. The man fell and the truck ran over him. The other LASTMA man on the ground told his colleague that the man was dead and they fled,” he said.
    An unnamed man claimed that the official after pushing the deceased, used his trailer to crush him, describing his action as ‘deliberate’ murder.

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