The Nation Newspaper

Tag: protest

  • Hospital workers protest ‘poor welfare’

    Activities at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNH) in Enugu were paralysed yesterday, following a peaceful protest by workers demanding improved welfare and payment of their allowances.

    The workers, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), marched to the administrative block housing offices of the board and chief medical director (CMD).

    Singing solidarity songs, the workers carried placards, such as: “Pay up our cooperative deductions”, “Where is our withheld annual increments”, “Stop all corruption”, “Pay us our teaching allowance”, “A cry for help from the Ministry of Health and the Presidency”, and others.

    Presenting their written demand to the board Chairman, Chief Acho Nwakamma, JOHESU’s Chairman  in FNH, Comrade Ejimadu Alozie, gave a 21-day ultimatum to the management to address their demands, failing which they would embark on a strike.

    Alozie, who chairs the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), listed their  demands as: payment of 2014 and 2015 increment arrears, payment of arrears of teaching allowances, with effect from May 2014, payment of 2011, 2012 and 2013 promotion arrears, release of 2014 promotion exercise and payment of arrears.

    Others are: payment of union check-off dues, payment of 2014 and 2015 uniform allowance to nurses, refund of over deduction in the 2014 December salary, conversion of qualified workers, wrong placement of workers, conduction of 2015 promotion exercise and inclusion of the hospital in the IPPIS payment schedule.

    The workers said all attempts to meet the CMD, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, management and board, to resolve the issues were unsuccessful.

    Board chair Chief Nwakamma, a former deputy governor of Abia State, said Dr. Onwukwe should address the workers since he had directed him to fix a meeting between the management and the union today.

    He said: “I received your document just this morning, and it’s a surprise to me because I think if you have issues as leaders, I believe the best approach to resolve issues, especially in this modern day, is by dialogue.

    ‘’After going through the document, I decided to make enquiries. I found out that there has never been a situation where you people sat down to table your grievances and hear from the other side.

    “I have directed the CMD to invite the leadership to a meeting tomorrow (today) by 2 pm. I have given that directive, if he has not passed that information, I’m informing you now because I think we need to sit down and look at these things because glancing at the issues here, there are some that are borne out of misinformation, because you have not been informed. So, we will meet tomorrow (today) and these issues will be looked into and we will work at ways of getting them solved.”

  • Exporters protest CBN policy on FOREX

    Exporters protest CBN policy on FOREX

    The   Central Bank  of Nigeria(CBN)has  been  urged to ease foreign currency controls on  how agro exporters should  use their  foreign earnings   to encourage  more Nigerians  to  go  into  the  business.

    The  CBN  had  introduced some measures to  strengthen  foreign currency controls in what has been described as a desperate attempt to shore up the struggling local currency.

    Part  of this  was that  agro exporters would sell their  proceeds to banks  upon  repatriation of  foreign earnings.

    The  other  issue is that exporters cannot use  their  proceedings  to finance  non- transactions and that they  can only  sell their  foreign exchange to banks.

    The  President, National  Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Mr. Tola Faseru, said the measures limiting  exporters’ access to foreign exchange and restricted local transactions to the  banks would  not help the  industry  as inflows from foreign exchange deposits  would   dwindle due to the unwillingness of exporters to transfer their proceeds.

    He  noted that the directive restricting exporters from withdrawing foreign currency without prior proof that it is meant for exports  would negate the spirit of  the  liberation of  export  proceeds  in 2015.

    He  explained  that  it was not  fair  for the CBN to  force  exporters  to  repatriate  export proceeds  and  sell  to  the  banks  on  the  officials  when  the banks  will turn  back and sell  such to  traders on  black market  rate.

    While  it is important for  the  bank to  take steps  to  strengthen  the collection and repatriation of export proceeds, the President, Federation of Agriculture Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr Victor Iyama, said it was wrong  for  the CBN  to  determine  how  exporters  use  their  money  when  some  of them  were  not  using  the  Export Expansion Grant(EEG) to  fund  their  businesses.

  • Proprietors protest in Ondo

    Proprietors protest in Ondo

    Members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Ondo State are on “a war path” with the government, following what they described as “heavy tax and obnoxious policies”.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Akure, the state capital, the aggrieved proprietors, led by their President, Pastor Goke Orimoloye, said an average school paid N3million yearly.

    Orimoloye said due to the government’s inconsistent policies, private schools now have to pay the government, Ministry of Education and the local government.

    He said: “The Board of Internal Revenue collects N2,000,200 yearly. We pay the Ministry of Education a renewal college fee for N125,000 and N80,000 for primary school. We pay N30,000 to the local government for the premises. The Ministry of Education also collects N90,000 for JSS 3 examination for 60 pupils; for SS 2 examination we pay N55,000 for 55 pupils.

    “For the primary six examination, the ministry collects N50,000 for 50 pupils. Our tenement rates, which we pay to the local government, is between N50,000 and N120,000 yearly. Local government vehicle document (mobile advert) is N20,000. Signage to the Board of Internal Revenue is N15,000.

    “Rebranding of vehicle in Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) colour (per bus) N150,000.  We also pay re-accreditation fees (for colleges) to the ministry N50,000 and primary schools N30,000.

    “For sanitation we pay N50,000. In total, the ministry collects N480,000 ; local government N50,000; Board of Internal Revenue N2,015,200; FRSC N150,000 and Ministry of Environment N50,000.”

  • Ekiti varsity students protest late registration fee

    Ekiti varsity students protest late registration fee

    •Police teargas protesters

    The imposition of a N10,000 late registration fee by the authorities of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) triggered a protest by the students yesterday.

    The placard-carrying students took to the streets of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, as early as 7am, singing anti-management songs. They blocked the Ado-Iworoko Highway.

    The protest forced some motorists to use one side of the dual carriage way; others took alternative routes.

    Besides the contentious late registration fee, the students are also enraged by the N5,000 entrepreneurship fee, epileptic power supply on campus and closure of portals.

    The students marched on the Governor’s Office but were prevented by armed policemen, who teargassed them.

    The students regrouped at the gate of Christ’s School, where Governor Ayo Fayose came to “pacify” them.

    Their spokesman, who pleaded for anonymity, accused the management of making life difficult for them, by imposing what he called “underhand levies”.

    While calling for the abrogation of the late registration fee, the protest leader also called for the reversal of the entrepreneurship fee and advocated the reopening of the university portal.

    Fayose announced the reversal of the N10,000 registration fee and other issues, which triggered the protest.

    He said his administration would not interfere in the running of the university.

    On electricity, the governor urged the students, especially those living outside the campus, to tell their landlords to pay their electricity bills.

  • Sacked workers protest in Aba

    Sacked workers protest in Aba

    More than three years after their disengagement, non-indigenous Abia State civil servants have staged a street protest seeking to be recalled to their positions.

    The protesters, sacked on October 1, 2011, marched through streets of Aba, the commercial hub of the state, demanding that Governor Theodore Orji recall them.

    The protesters bore banners and placards with such inscriptions as “We are the sacked workers in Abia State, call us back to work”.

    Some of the sacked have indeed been reinstated by the protesters said the number of the recalled workers were too small.

    They said that they were using the opportunity to also mourn not less than 35 members of the group who died since their sack, stressing that they were not going to rest until the government recalled all of them.

    Mrs. Ijeoma Ihejirika who led the group on the protest in an interview with reporters said that they decided to embark on the protest to remind and also draw the attention of the Abia State Governor that as he prepares to leave office on May 29, he was yet to fulfill the promise of total recall of its members into the its civil service even as they expressed the fear that the incoming government may overlook their way.

    Ihejirika who could barely speak as she was soaked in her emotions said that their members were dying in their numbers out of frustration and idleness arising from expectation that they would be called back to work as the governor promised.

    According to her, most of the workers who were due for their retirement were yet to get their gratuity and pension since 2011 till date which has made life miserable and difficult for them, adding that some of them who had put in their years in service, hoping to live on their gratuity and pension could hardly afford a square meal for their family to feed on.

    Thanking the governor for the ones that they have absorbed, she urged him to show mercy and act on his words in order not to create the impression that the promise he made was to score cheap political goals and appealed to the governor to direct his commissioners and Head of Service of the state to implement without any further delay, the orders of the state government in reabsorbing them into their various ministries.

    One of the disengaged worker that gave her name as Joy Ajah stated that she has received a re-instatement letter since May 2014 from the government but was yet to be placed in a ministry.

    She said that the delay in the promised re-instatement process was making life more unbearable for her and others in her shoes who have no other means of income because they were made to visit the state capital frequently without any positive result.

    She therefore called on the state governor to fulfill his promises to them now rather than allowing the issue to drag on.

     

  • PDP members protest alleged imposition of candidate by Fayose

    PDP members protest alleged imposition of candidate by Fayose

    Aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State are protesting the alleged imposition of a candidate on them by Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    They have sued the party.

    The members, who are House of Representatives aspirants, are Cyril Fasuyi, Dotun Onipede, Victor Bamidele and Banji Oyinloye.

    They said in a suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja that Fayose was working with the party to “impose Chief Thaddeus Aina on us” as the House of Representatives candidate for Ekiti North Federal Constituency.

    The plaintiffs are praying the court to declare that no valid primary election known to the party’s constitution, its guidelines for primary elections and the Electoral Act, took place as scheduled on December 6 last year to select a candidate for Ekiti North Federal Constituency.

    They seek an order compelling the PDP to organise and announce a new date for the primary election for the selection of a candidate for the Ekiti North Federal Constituency.

    The plaintiffs named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a defendant.

    Onipede, who deposed to the supporting affidavit, said they were cleared for the primaries, having obtained the nomination forms.

    He said on December 7 when the primary election was to hold, everyone was at the venue, only for the organisers to produce election materials in the evening.

    Onipede said the election was later postponed when visibility became difficult about 7:30pm.

    He said while postponing the primaries, the Youth Leader, Taiwo Olatunji, promised that a new date would be communicated to members.

    Onipede said when they did not hear from the party in relation to the new date, they appealed against the non-holding of the primary to the Election Appeal Committee and later the National Working Committee, but got no response.

    On Friday, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, G. Uche, urged the court to hear the case in view of the fact that time was of the essence.

    He said the elections were fast approaching and the issue about primary ought to be concluded.

    Uche said the defendants were served on December 23 last year but chose not to file any response.

    Justice Evoh Chukwu acceded to the defendants’ request and adjourned till Wednesday for hearing.

  • CAN U-17: Protest rocks host Niger

    The 16th edition of the African Under 17 championship to be hosted by Niger Republic seems to be in jeopardy as the host nation burns as a religious conflict is currently brewing in the landlocked West African country due to the Charlie Hebdo Newspaper publication of Prophet Mohammed.

    At least nine people have been killed and 10 churches destroyed as fresh protests occurred in the country yesterday.

    Protests began outside Niamey’s Grand Mosque on Friday and later spread to other parts of the country.

    The tournament was originally scheduled to be held from May 2 to 16. However, the date of the opening match was pushed forward to February 15, with the tournament scheduled to conclude on March 1.

    Eight African teams are scheduled to grace the tournament, with the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria amongst the countries that qualified for the tournament. Others include, defending Champion Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Guinea, Zambia, South Africa, Mali and the host Niger Republic.

    The Stade Général Seyni Kountché and the Stade Municipal, both in Niamey are expected to be the venues of the tournament.

    Two weeks ago, Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at Charlie Hebdo’s offices.The cover of the magazine’s latest edition, published after the attack, featured a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad weeping while holding a sign saying “I am Charlie”.

    Seven million copies of the edition are being printed in view of extraordinary demand, distributors announced on Saturday. The magazine’s print run before the attack was 60,000.

  • Protest in Ibadan as REC resumes

    There was another protest in Ibadan yesterday against the posting of Mr. Rufus Akeju as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Oyo State.

    Hundreds of protesters from various parties and non-governmental organisations marched on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters, rejecting Akeju’s posting.

    They appealed to INEC Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega to re-post Akeju to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, alleging that he would be partial in the conduct of elections.

    Akeju replaces Nasir Ayilara, who has been transferred to Niger State.

    The protesters, who were drawn from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Accord, market associations, youth groups and other non-governmental organisations, carried various placards with inscriptions against the REC.

    Their spokesman, Isiaka Kehinde, said the protest was to register their displeasure on the posting of Akeju to the state.

    He alleged that there was a court ruling against Akeju based on an allegation that he might be sympathetic to the cause of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Head of Voter Education Department of INEC, Ayodele Folami, told reporters that Akeju resumed on Tuesday.

    “Handing and taking over have taken place. But right now, he’s out of the state on an official assignment.

    “This would be the second round of protests. They came on Monday and they are here again. We addressed protesters with the divisional police officer in attendance.

    “For them to protest peacefully is legal. So, they have the right to protest. But if you are protesting, you should not prevent other citizens from carrying out their duties as well.

    “We have reported the first protest to our headquarters in Abuja. I am sure the headquarters is taking some steps on the protest. So, we told the protesters to be patient and should not allow miscreants to hijack the protest.”

  • Residents protest 16-month blackout

    Residents of Ipetu-Ijesa in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State marched on the streets at the weekend to protest a 16-month blackout in Grammar School area.

    The protesters said the electricity  transformer developed a fault last year August  and has not been repaired.

    They carried placards with various inscriptions, claiming they complained to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) before the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) took over.

    They lamented that the situation remained the same until August when the Licenced Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria, Istepped into the matter, following the intervention of a resident, who they claimed donated money for the repair of the transformer.

    The protesters alleged that 12 days after IBEDC released cables for the repair;  the cables were stolen.

    They said: “Since the  privatisation of the power sector, we expect the investor to provide the amenities and demand their bill from consumers.

    “Based on our findings, the management at Ilesa Business Unit is demanding that residents pay part of their bill but our people are angry over IBEDC’s non-chalant attitude to their complaint.

    “We are calling on the IBEDC as a service provider, to provide a transformer and the necessary cables  first.

    “It can then demand its debt, which was put at N1.2 million.”

  • Protest rocks UNN

    Protest rocks UNN

    Graduate students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) demonstrated for two days, following a hike in their tuition fees. OLADELE OGE (Mass Communication) reports.

    The increase in the tuition fees of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) post-graduate students by 100 per cent last week led to a two-day demonstration.

    The protest started on Wednesday. The protesters, comprising students in Master’s, Post-graduate and Doctoral programmes, held procession to condemn the hike. They described the increment as arbitrary, urging the university to reverse it.

    The procession moved from the post-graduate Hall of Residence to the university stadium; then to the School of Postgraduate Studies before arriving at the office of the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Benjamin Ozumba, who was said to be meeting with the accreditation team of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    The students carried placards with inscriptions, such as “No to fee increment”, “Restore the dignity of PG students”, “Fee increment for what?” and “Bring back our old school fees”, among others.

    Under the new fee regime, returning students, who initially paid N69,000, will pay between N135,000 and N145,000.

    The protesters could not see the VC, but the Dean of Post-graduate Studies, Prof Augustine Ubachukwu, who addressed them, promised that the VC would meet with them at another place to avoid embarrassing the management before the NUC team.

    After all entreaties to the protesters were rebuffed, Prof Ubachukwu warned that the management would not hesitate to deal with anybody that embarrasses the institution. He said the new fees were commensuratae with what is obtainable in other institutions, asking the students to accept the increment.

    The protesters’ spokesman, Mr Paul Haaga, said the increment was outrageous. “We are not against any increment, but it should be reasonable. It is irresponsible to increase the fees within nine months from N69, 000 to N145,000 for Sciences; N135, 000 for Arts and N32,000, hostel accommodation, including N2,000 maintenance and N25,000  acceptance fee. Where do they expect us to get that kind of money? We will continue this protest until the university reduces it. I do not think it is a crime for one to further his education in UNN,” he said.

    Prof Ubachukwu said the government did not provide subvention for postgraduate studies because the students were expected to pay for their education.

    He said: “Sometimes, I use my personal money to run the post-graduate school. I have been talking with some of your leaders on this issue for some time now and we compared notes with other universities before the increment.”

    In the early hours of the following day, the protesters assembled in front of Post-graduate Hostel from where they moved to the VC’s office in protest. The demonstration was coincided with departure of the visiting NUC team. But the university’s security officers moved in and appealed to the students to go back to their hostels, promising that the management would look into the matter.

    On Friday, Prof Ozumba met with the aggrieved students in the Post-graduate Hall and explained what led the increment. The VC said the initial fee was not sustainable to provide quality service and knowledge to the students.

    But some of the students objected the management’s reason, saying there was no need to compare the university with other institutions.

    Mr Uche Uwachukwu, a Master’s student, said: “A standard university should be able to provide necessary facilities and infrastructure to aid learning. Unfortunately, the facilities are not there. Is it our money that authorities are expecting to fix what has been damaged for years? They should tamper with school fees but look for other source to generate money.”