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Tag: protest

  • UNICAL students protest scarcity of water, electricity

    UNICAL students protest scarcity of water, electricity

    Students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) on Monday carried placards protesting against neglect of their welfare by the authorities of the university.

    The protest, which began at about 5.30 a.m., created panic as workers and traders got stranded at roads linking the university, including Etta Agbor, IBB Way and Mary Slessor Road.

    The placards read: “VC, give us water and light, students cannot study without light and water, electricity and water is our right,’’ among others.

    One of the students, Mr. Emeka Ebere, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the students had been staying without light and water in hostels for more than three weeks.

    Ebere added that the school authorities were doing nothing about the plight of students.

    “Rats come to eat our legs when we sleep because everywhere is bushy and there is no light for more than three weeks now.

    “Again, we have not had water for months now and students have to go long distances into the town to fetch water.”

    He blamed the situation on the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. James Epoke, alleging that the VC was not showing concern over students’ welfare because his tenure would expire next month.

    Another student, Miss Theresa Kahi, claimed that the vice- chancellor was the reason for the protest.

    “The last time we demonstrated within the school premises, they charged us for damages but now we are protesting outside the school gate because we want water and light.

    “We, the students of this school are tired of the attitude of the university’s management.

    “The protest is to send a strong message to the VC that we need water and light inside the university,’’ she said.

    NAN reports that a detachment of anti-riot policemen was stationed at the Mary Slessor/Marian Roundabout, about 700 metres from the main gate of the university.

    When contacted on telephone, the vice-chancellor said the students had the right to protest, assuring however, that the situation would be resolved soon.

    “They are students and they have the right to protest.

    “On the issue of light, I believe everyone in Calabar knows that there is power outage for weeks now.

    “The issue of light has been a general problem, not only to the university alone but the entire Calabar, we will try and supply them water.”

  • ‘Wike not planning protest’

    ‘Wike not planning protest’

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike last night denied sponsoring youths from the state to Abuja, to protest against former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s  clearance for minister by the senate.

    Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah said: “The allegation is not only spurious, but fatuous and malicious. Governor Wike has no cause to orchestrate a protest against Amaechi’s appointment.

    “Let me reiterate that Governor Wike has no nexus with the appointment of Amaechi or otherwise. It is the right of an appointor to appoint anybody of his choice, provided such appointment is in sync with the relevant laws.

    “The appointment of Amaechi will definitely have no bearing on the governance of Rivers State. There are crucial issues the governor is more concerned with, which are issues of the state.”

  • Alaibe disowns planned protest

    Alaibe disowns planned protest

    The campaign organisation of former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director, Chief Timi Alaibe, of Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC), has dissociated itself from a planned protest against last Tuesday’s primary of the party.

    A text message circulated in Yenagoa, the state capital, by a member of the organisation, Mr. Patterson, said some people, allegedly sponsored by Alaibe’s detractors, had printed T-shirts in his name to protest in Abuja and Yenagoa.

    He said: “It has come to the notice of the Timi Alaibe Campaign Organisation that certain groups have printed T-shirts and vests in the name of Alaibe and are planning to stage violent protests in Yenagoa and at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja.

    “We dissociate ourselves from such protests and call on the public, security agencies and the national leadership of the APC to please take note.”

     

  • Residents protest ‘crazy electricity bills’

    Residents protest ‘crazy electricity bills’

    Some Lagos residents have protested what they called the epileptic power supply in their area and “loath-some” billings by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).

    The residents of Igbehin-Adun in Ilasamaja, Mushin, alleged that they are being billed for what they did not consume by the Iyana-Isolo and Idi-Araba districts of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).

    A banner at the entrance of the community reads: The real change we want in Ilasamaja from Eko Distribution Company. Their demands as inscribed on the banner  include; No more crazy bills; No more extortion in estimated billing; No more service charges; No more billing not in commensurate with energy consumption; Prepaid metres should be free among others.

    Their representatives made their grievances known at the EKEDC head office on the Marina in Lagos last Thursday.

    They were denied access to the EKEDC General Manager, who was said to be in a meeting.

    An official of EKEDC, however, assured them that their complaints would be looked into.

    A former councillor in Mushin Local Government, Lateef Olayinka Aro told The Nation that the residents’ efforts to lodge a complaints at the Iyana-Isolo and Idi-Araba districts of EKEDC failed.

    He said: “The situation of power supply in this area has been precarious. We want to see the authority in charge but to some extent, we have been finding it difficult. We went to Isolo district but we got flimsy excuses. The Idi-Araba district told us to lodge our complaints at the head office in Marina. For a year now, our bills have been high.  We are being billed as an industrial area while our area is actually a residential area. The bills are high compared to the level of income of the people in this area. We want the government to understand our plight and look into the matter as quick as possible.”

    Aro said their investigations showed that they have been disconnected from the former feeder where they enjoyed “little power supply”, adding: “we have been given that of Itire while ours was given to Itire.”

    The residents said they met with an official of the Idi-Araba district who pleaded with them to exercise patience.

    According to Aro, the official said: “All these are happening as a result of the privatisation of the power sector, but we are assuring you that there will be positive changes”.

    A resident, Taiwo Hamzat, representing Akanro and Ogunbowale axis, decried the outrageous bills, saying they are nowhere equal to the level of power supplied.

    Hamzat said: “We are making our grievances known to EKEDC; we do not deserve outrageous bills, estimated billings, illegal disconnection and frequent power outage. Imagine, an individual being given between N20,000 and N60,000 bill monthly yet the power supply is not constant.

    Another resident, Folorunsho Olorunosebi said they could deal with EKEDC officials, “but we decided to express our complaints at the head office to avoid violence.”

    Mrs Folashade Ajani said her faulty metre which was taken away by EKEDC officials has not been returned, “but I have been receiving bills for power not supplied”.

    An EKEDC official in Idi-Araba appealed for calm, promising to hold a meeting with some selected members of the community.

  • Promotion: NTDC staff shut down headquarters

    Promotion: NTDC staff shut down headquarters

    Staff of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Monday shut down the headquarters of the Corporation over the failure of the Director-General, Dr Sally Mbanefo to abide by the agreement signed with the staff on March 2, 2015 on promotion, improper placement, use of consultancy services as well as other administrative issues.

    The protesting staff also accused the DG of embezzling over N300m million released by the federal government for the development of the Corporation, staff training and welfare.

    The staffs carried placards with inscriptions such as, ‘All We Are Saying: Sally Must Go’, ‘Domestic Tourism Promotion Is Not About Visit To Government House For Selfish Interest’; ‘Pls Baba, Save NTDC The Apex Tourism Implementing Agency From Extinction Under Sally’ and among others .

    The Chairman, FCT Chapter of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Anthony Benjamin who spoke with newsmen after the protest admitted that Mbanefo reneged on the signed agreement saying that the strike would continue until the DG was removed by President Muhammdu Buhari and replaced with a competent professional.

    He said; “We have been copying our letters to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation but it appears that they don’t supervise the parastatals well because they all have problems.

    He described the DG as an incompetent Tourism Manager that has been squandering money in NTDC without achieving any meaningful result even as he regretted that countries like the Gambia, South Africa and Kenya depended on tourism for their economic growth.

    On whether he was aware that no fund has been released for capital project this year, he said, “The overhead have been released which can be used in carrying out some of the projects.

    Reacting, the Chairman, NTDC branch of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Okpomo Samuel  Unwuchola maintained that the DG signed an agreement with other individuals and private  organisations with the aim of increasing the revenue of NTDC.

    He regretted that the DG failed to account for the proceeds realised through event sponsorship by private organisations adding that she engages in reckless spending by employing people and placing them on jumbo salary ahead of more competent staff.

    According to him, “We are in charge of management of the entire tourist sites across the States but today, the tourist sites are dilapidated and cannot be upgraded by NTDC.

    Unwuchola lamented that NTDC have shunned local festivals like Osun-Oshogbo, Argungun, Durbar as well as international exhibitions this year, which he believed was a contributory factor to the extinction of domestic tourism.

    The DG however refused to react to the various allegations leveled against her  as she neither picked calls nor replied to emails and text messages sent to her phone as at press time.

  • Protest over alleged plan to reverse Adeyemi Varsity status

    Protest over alleged plan to reverse Adeyemi Varsity status

    Members of the non-teaching staff of the Adeyemi University of Education (AUE) in Ondo have protested the alleged plan to reverse the status of the institution back to college of Education.

    AUE was among four other Colleges upgraded to specialised universities by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The aggrieved workers, who include members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), further alleged that some unnamed persons were behind the move to revert the institution to its former status.

    The Nation, however, learnt that some lecturers in the institution and other newly upgraded Universities were those allegedly agitating this move.

    Sources revealed that some of these lecturers are those without PhD qualifications who are afraid of being laid off if the full academic activities commence in the institution.

    Before the protest, the workers called a congress where the unions formed an association called the Joint Non-Teaching Staff Action Committee (JNTSAC) to fight their cause.

    They later moved to the Ondo-Ore-Lagos express road opposite the gate of the university carrying placards with different inscriptions such as ‘Mr. President take away corruption, not our university, ‘University status, no going back,’ ‘forward ever, backward never’.

    Speaking with reporters, the Chairman of JNTSAC, Mr. Femi Lademikan, said the non-teaching staff of the institution are against any move to reverse the status of the university.

    He said: “We want our university to remain as it is; we are appealing to the government through this peaceful demonstration that the status of the university should remain.  Our governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is doing very well and we appreciate him on this. We are using this medium to tell him that we want him to be more proactive on this issue.

    “We are also telling President Muhammadu Buhari that the institution has everything to qualify it for a university. We have the manpower, people and resources to maintain this school. The structure is there and we have an enabling environment, Mr. President must not listen to people who are enemies of progress.”

    Also, members of Adeyemi Federal University of Education Academic Staff Union (AFUEASU) said they were against the agitation for the reversal of the institution status to college.

    The Union in a statement issued and signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Olaolu Olaniyan, said taking such action would cause an avoidable crisis in the University.

  • Scores protest ‘outrageous electricity bills’

    Scores protest ‘outrageous electricity bills’

    Scores of electricity consumers yesterday marched on Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    They protested alleged exorbitant billings, extortion and poor customer relations by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company of Nigeria (IBEDC).

    The demonstrators, who were youths and women, carried leaves and chanted war songs.

    The protest, which started from the IBEDC building at Oluseyi about 9am, ended at the area commander’s office.

    The protesters’ leader, Chief Bisi Owolabi, decried the services and the attitude of the workers.

    He said the bone of contention was the alleged exorbitant and outrageous bills for August.

    Owolabi said the community assisted IBEDC by servicing and renovating its facilities, adding that it failed to reciprocate the gesture.

    He said: “The least charge on the present bill is between N7,200 and N10,000, representing an increase of more than 100 per cent. We compiled the bills and took them to their office for adjustment last Saturday.

    “But to our surprise, they removed our fuse and plunged our area into darkness.

    “We regard this action as a slap on our face and we have resolved that henceforth, no consumer will pay above N2,000 monthly.”

    The President, Omu-Aran Youth Forum, Pastor Doyin Lawal, said youths would resist any attempt to compound their economic situation.

    At the council secretariat, the Vice Chairman, Mrs. Comfort Ajiboye, received the protesters and urged them to be law-abiding.

    She enjoined the demonstrators to send a letter to the local government.

    The Area Commander, Mr. Ayodele Olatunji, appealed to the protesters to be cautious.

    He said the command would intervene.

    The Business Manager, Mr. Mikail Bello, said the gradual increase in the unit of the energy consumption for the community necessitated the increase in the present charges.

    He said the community’s energy usage increased from 70 units to 350 units, following the recent improvement in electricity transmission.

    Bello added: “The only way out of this problem, which I continue to emphasise, is for them to have prepaid meters. This will give every individual control on his or her electricity usage, to avoid occasional quarrel.”

  • UNICAL: students hold election amid protest

    UNICAL: students hold election amid protest

    Students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have elected their union leaders at a poll that almost ended in controversy. FRANK EJEAGBASI (400-Level Physiology) and JOSEPH OCHANG (Library and Information Science) report.

    As soon as the ban on political campaign was lifted, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) began to bubble with electioneering. This was followed by the composition of the Calabar University Electoral Commission (CUECO), a body charged to midwife the election of the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    Immediately members of the commission was sworn in, its chairman, Dr Anozeng Igiri announced the day for manifestoes, where candidates presented their programmes.

    The event witnessed a large turnout of students at the International Conference Centre, who came to listen to the agenda of the contestants.

    The process was not without controversies. Supporters of some candidates were opposed to CUESO’s decision to conduct the election via electronic voting. They saw it as a ploy by the management to enthrone its stooges. This led to a protest, with some saying the e-voting could lead to the emergence of unpopular candidates.

    According to the electoral commission, the e-voting method would enable students, who had paid their school fees, to log on to the school website and cast their votes from their hostels. But, the protesters rejected the method, calling for paper-ballot method.

    Following the impasse, the management met with the aggrieved students, during which they listed their misgivings about the e-voting method. The Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Eyong Eyong, told them the management had no plans to foist leaders on students, adding that the e-voting portal was designed by experts to prevent irregularities in the process.

    Prof Eyong said: “The management has no special interest in any candidate; it is students’ union and we will let students decide who leads them.”

    On the election day, voting was scheduled to hold between 10am and 2pm, during which the e-voting portal would be open. Supporters of candidates were seen moving round the hostels and classrooms with laptops to access the e-voting portal.

    A resident of Hall 5, who identified himself as Bassey, said: “I seriously don’t understand the magic the electoral committee is doing. They told us the portal would be open from 10am for voting and it has been over an hour now, nobody has been able to access the portal.”

    At the College of Medical Sciences, students were agitating, because of their inability to log on to the portal. A Medical Laboratory Science student, Emeka Augustine, said: “We have been going about with three different laptops, which are all connected to the Internet. We have mobilised students to vote but none of them has able to successfully vote. We are yet to vote access the portal at noon, two hours after the election started.”

    Students, who could not bear the frustration, embarked on a peaceful demonstration round the campus, marching on the management building. The outgoing SUG president, Emmanuel Ajang, and Director of Welfare, John Alawa, appealed to the protesters to be calm, observing that the portal was being fixed.

    Dissatisfied with the explanation, the angry students demanded to have audience with the school management on possible cancellation of the exercise.

    One of the protesters, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “We saw this coming; we told them (management) we did not trust the e-voting method, yet they went ahead with it. We cannot sit back and watch them do things wrongly. This is students’ election.”

    When CAMUSLIFE demanded to speak to Dr Igiri on the hitches, the electoral committee chairman declined comment.

    The DSA, Prof Eyong, apologised for the hitch, saying the control centre of the e-voting portal was facing some challenges. He assured the protesters the problem would be fixed as officials of the school Information Technology centre were making efforts to fix the problem.

    The protesters were not convinced by the Dean’s explanation. The demanded cancellation of the process as the shout of “no e-voting” rented the air. The DSA urged for calm, saying: “If by 2pm we cannot solve the challenges, we shall cancel the election and reschedule for a later date.”

    However, at 1:30pm, the e-voting portal came up and students started to cast their votes. The process was extended to 4:15 pm.

    At the end of the exercise, Tete Ekpo Okon was declared president-elect with 1,373 votes, while Sandra Chukwurah emerged Vice President with 1,196 votes. Victor Bisong was elected as General Secretary with 1,047 votes and Ifiok Assamudo emerged Assistant General Secretary.

    Others are Blessing Igri, Financial Secretary, John Madu, Director of Welfare, Kingsley Nwokolo, Director of Sports, Richard Unwana, Director of Socials and Fabian Nwohia, Director of Information.

    Some observers described the exercise as free and fair, but they bemoaned the delay.

    During their swearing in, the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof James Epoke, advised the union leaders to set good standards, saying unionism was not for violent confrontation but to partner with the management to improve welfare of students.

    The president, Tete, said: “We will try our best to live up to expectation with the aim to sustain the existing peace on campus for effective learning.”

  • Commercial drivers protest naked in Rivers

    It was a horrific and warlike scene in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Saturday when commercial drivers, conductors and sympathisers violently protested naked on major roads and streets.
    They protested while confronting hoodlums at Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt hometown of Governor Nyesom Wike, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
    Trouble started around 12.20 p.m. on Friday at Whimpy Junction, along the ever-busy Ikwerre Road when a policeman on stop-and-search duty from the Kala Police Station, Rumueprikom shot and killed a bus driver, David Legbara, over N100 bribe.
    The late Legbara, an Ogoni man from Uegewe-Boue in Tai LGA of Rivers state was the only son and the bread winner of his family, who recently got married, with the wife eight months pregnant.
    The killing sparked off spontaneous protest from other commercial drivers, conductors and sympathisers, who saw the action of the policeman as unjustifiable.
    The protest spilled to major highways, causing traffic dislocation and pains to members of the public.
    Loading of intra-city and inter-state passengers was halted, as motorists, pedestrians, commuters groaning, trekking long distances and scampering to safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
    Having briefly protested on Friday evening, the drivers, conductors and their sympathisers were fully mobilised Saturday morning and they headed for the notorious Rumueprikom on Ikwerre Road, just before Rumuokwuta Roundabout in Port Harcourt, with the intention of razing the Kala Divisional Police Headquarters.
    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kala police headquarters promptly mobilised the policemen from the station, who confronted the protesters, leading to violence and confusion, with bullets flying all over.
    The roads and streets were quickly deserted, while commercial and economic activities came to a halt for some hours.
    In spite of the gunshots and teargas from the policemen to disperse the angry protesters, they were undeterred and continued to march to the Kala police station.
    Police reinforcement was immediately drafted to contain the situation which was later brought under control.
    The aggrieved protesting drivers and conductors then decided to completely strip, walking on the Port Harcourt’s major roads stark naked, without any pant or underwear.
    The unnamed killer policeman was promptly disarmed, arrested and detained, while the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, immediately ordered full-scale investigation into the circumstances and ramifications of the incident.
    The killer cop is to be charged to court on conclusion of investigation.

  • Court rejects Saraki’s protest against Senate forgery suit

    Court rejects Saraki’s protest against Senate forgery suit

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday rejected a complaint by Senate President Bukola Saraki against a suit seeking to sack him and other principal officers of the Senate elected under the controversial Senate Standing Orders 2015.

    His counsel Sikiru Oke told the court yesterday that he appeared for the Senate President “in protest” and has not filed “memorandum of appearance” which must be filed before a lawyer could enter appearance for a party in a case.

    The proceedings were in relation to a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015 filed by senators who are opposed to the emergence of Dr. Saraki as the Senate President.

    They are: Senators Abu Ibrahim; Kabir Marafa; Ajayi  Boroffice; Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni. Defendants to the suit are Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; the National Assembly, the Clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate.

    The plaintiffs seek among other prayers  an order nullifying the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as well as the election of Saraki as the Senate President and that of Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, for being products of the alleged illegal rules.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole had at the last hearing in the case on July 28, adjourned the case to yesterday for the hearing of the plaintiffs’ motion on notice seeking an order restraining Saraki and other defendants from going ahead to constitute the standing committees of the Senate, pending the determination of their suit challenging the validity of the Senate Standing Orders 2015.

    Oke contended that court processes in the case were served on his office instead of being served personally on his client, as prescribed by the Federal High Court Rules 2009.

    Plaintiffs’ counsel Dele Adesina (SAN) in a counter argument, contended that there are obligatory provisions of the same court rules which envisages and validates service on Saraki through his office.

    Adesina also argued that Oke could not be heard since he had yet to file memorandum of appearance to appear for the first defendant (Saraki).

    Ruling, Justice Kolawole upheld Adesina’s position and disqualified Oke from appearing for Saraki during the proceedings.

    He directed that the case be transferred to another judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who will take over as the vacation judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja onAugust 10.

    He adjourned to August 13.

    Justice Kolawole had, in a ruling on July 28, dismissed an exparte application by the plaintiffs in which they had earlier sought a restraining order against the constitution of the senate standing committees.

    In the ruling, Justice Kolawole said the disputes arising from the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders constituted internal legislative affair of the Senate which the court would not want to intervene in.