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FG Meets ASUU, Says Varsities To Get N30bn Next Week

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The Federal Government says the meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities aimed at evaluating the implementation of the Memorandum of Action entered into by the parties is successful.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige said this while addressing newsmen at the end of a closed-door meeting on Monday in Abuja.

Ngige said that the meeting evaluated seven key issues with both parties expressing satisfaction with the implementation stages, adding that “work is in progress”.

He said some of the items in the MOA were nearly done 100 percent within the timeline.

Ngige said that the National Information Technology Development Agency was directed to expedite action on the integrity test on the University Transparency Accountability Solution.

”If successful, it will eliminate the challenges posed by the peculiarities of the university system to the current payment platform,” he said.

The minister said the government had also paid the N30 billion as the University Revitalisation Fund as contained in the MOA since January 2021.

According to him, the money is, however, still lodged with the CBN, pending the conclusion of the audit report of the Implementation Committee on the use of previous funds disbursement to universities by the Ministry of Education and the National University Commission.

“The report has been turned in, deliberated upon and both the Education Ministry and the NUC have promised to write to the Accountant General of the Federation next week for the release of the money to the NEEDS Special Account for onward disbursement to universities shortly,” he said.

The minister said that the monies would be paid to successful universities based on the evaluation report of the committee, while those with shortcomings would be made to make up before accessing the fund.

He further disclosed that apart from the N40 billion Earned Allowance, which the Federal Government has already paid, the Budget Office of the Federation showed evidence that N22 billion Earned Allowances for the year 2021” is already captured in the 2021 supplementary budget of the federation, and would soon be accessed “.

“On the proliferation of State universities, a bill has been sent to the National Assembly by the NUC to strengthen its arms in terms of delisting universities where funding and other parameters are inadequate.

”This effort was commended as all the parties agreed that mushrooming and proliferation of state universities, some of which mock the ideals of an ivory tower, should stop.

“The inconsistencies in the IPPIS payment were also discussed. There was good interaction and documents were exchanged between IPPIS and ASUU.

”ASUU is to go back to its members so that we can have a proper update on the extent of the inconsistencies in payment.

”We expressed our displeasure that these things are happening – amputation of salaries, not-too-clear, foggy things happening over peoples monthly emoluments. So we have asked IPPIS and ASUU to work together over this,” he said.

Ngige said that evidence was presented that promotion arrears had been paid to some universities while the Budget Office of the federation and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation were asked to liaise with ASUU to sort out the rest.

He, however, noted that the standing committee on the matter had been expanded to include National Income Salaries and Wages Commission.

“A situation where a university professor is paid N107, 000 out of mistake or over deduction is unacceptable,” Ngige said.

The minister further expressed shock that the National Association of Resident Doctors had threatened to embark on another strike after holding a similar successful evaluation meeting with him last week.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and promised that ASUU would reach out to members.

BIG STORY

JUST IN: DHQ Declares Physics Professor, Woman, 6 Others Wanted Over Murder Of Army Personnel In Delta

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted over the killing of army personnel in Okuama community, Delta state.

Recall that the 17 army personnel were killed on March 14 during an operation in the community.

Those declared wanted include Ekpekpo Arthur, a professor of physics at the Delta State University; Akeywiru Omotegbono, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, a lady; Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

The names of the deceased soldiers are A.H Ali, D.E Obi, S.D. Ashafa, U. Zakari, Yahaya Saidu, Danbaba Yahaya, Kabir Bashir, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, Bello Anas, Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu.

After the killing of the army personnel, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

On Wednesday, the personnel were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja and were posthumously conferred with national honours by President Tinubu.

The president also offered scholarships to children of the late officers.

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late personnel, Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.

The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of searching to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.

He added that the Nigerian Army exercised  “a lot of restraint” in the search for missing arms and body parts of the deceased soldiers.

The army chief also said some of the widows of the slain officers are pregnant.

“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and, by extension, the Nigerian state, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, which include parents,” Lagbaja said.

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BoT Annuls Abure’s Election, Takes Over Labour Party Affairs, Declares Anambra National Convention A Charade

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The Labour Party’s (LP) Board of Trustees (BoT) announced that it has taken over as the party’s governing body after the previous National Working Committee (NWC), headed by Julius Abure, completed its term in office.

The secret national convention that took place on Wednesday at Nnewi in Anambra State was referred to as a hoax in a statement signed and released by the BoT on Wednesday night through its Chairman, Comrade S.O.Z. Ejiofor.

The statement reads: “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the Labour Party headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party, in line with the Labour Party Constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the Labour Party.

“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the Labour Party.

“Furthermore, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party, in consultation with major stakeholders in the Party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party.

“This is in line with the March 20, 2018, Federal High Court consent judgement delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as the owner of the Labour Party and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party be held.

“The decision of the Board of Trustees is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on 27th June 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“While we commend members of the Labour Party, especially workers, students, youths, market women and men, Obidients, and candidates on the platform of the Labour Party for their contributions and fidelity to the ideals of the party, the Board of Trustees promises to quickly set in motion processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention.

“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive National Convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.

“This process will not leave any genuine member of the Labour Party out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents and the general public.

“We commend the leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and key stakeholders in the Labour Party for declining to deodorise the malfeasance that took place in Nnewi with their presence.

“The BoT assures all stakeholders that we are committed to reclaiming and repositioning the Labour Party as the vehicle for the socio-political emancipation of our dear country, her working people and populace.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Abure was re-elected as the National Chairman of the Labour Party at a controversial national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.

Abure, along with eight others, was declared re-elected into the 22-member National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP by the Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, at the event held at Grand Seasons Hotel in Nnewi.

A communique issued by the LP delegates, who attended the convention, said the party declared its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, as its preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The controversial convention also adopted the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, as the Labour Party governorship candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial election in Abia State.

However, both Obi and Otti were conspicuously absent at the national convention.

Abia Deputy Governor, Emetu, led all members of the State Executive Council (SEC) and members of the National and State Assemblies from the state elected on the LP platform to the national convention.

However, no member of the National and State Assemblies from Anambra State elected under the LP platform except the member representing Peter Obi’s Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Federal Constituency and Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, George Ozodinobi, attended the LP national convention.

The controversial re-election of Abure as National Chairman came a week after members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketed the LP secretariat in Abuja.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier asked Abure to shelve his planned secret national convention.

The NLC had in a statement on Friday, March 15, accused Abure of running the Labour Party as a Sole Administrator by secretly scheduling a supposed national convention of the party without consulting stakeholders.

Members of the NLC, which accused Abure of “financial rascality”, had on Wednesday, March 20, occupied the National headquarters of the Labour Party in Abuja, calling for Abure’s sack as National Chairman of the party.

Reacting to Abure’s re-election earlier on Wednesday, Benson Upah, Spokesperson of the NLC, said, “It is an illegality, a nullity. The whole exercise was a charade! Nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity.”

Also, the factional chairman of the Party in Anambra State, Peter Okoye, boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.

Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye queried: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal. There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that are electing the National Working Committee (NWC) members?

“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there either. So, who is holding the convention?”

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JUST IN: NLC Rejects Abure’s Re-Election As Labour Party National Chairman

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Following his reelection, Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, will not receive any acknowledgment from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

During the party’s national convention on Wednesday in Nnewi, Anambra State, Abure was re-elected as the national chairman of the organisation.

The National Working Committee members were all back at the convention as well.

Nonetheless, there were still open seats for the NLC and the Trade Union Congress.

NLC spokesman Benson Upah promised that the congress will never support the party led by Abure in response to the convention’s results.

While describing the convention as a charade, Upah told our reporter that the return of the national chairman was a nullity as far as the NLC is concerned.

He said, “It’s an illegality, a nullity. The whole exercise was a charade! Nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity.”

When asked for labour’s next line of action, the NLC head of information, who replied via a text message, wrote, “You, wait and see.”

The national convention of party had generated so much heat in the last week.

At least five persons were reportedly apprehended at the convention ground on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to foment trouble at the arena.

The arrested persons were said to be distributing inciting leaflets critical of the leadership of the party.

They were eventually handed over to the police for questioning.

In a communiqué jointly signed by Abure and his National Secretary, Umar Farouk, the party announced that the presidential flag bearer of LP, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, have been cleared to contest as the party’s candidates again in 2027.

The statement partly read, “The convention in session, based on the antecedents of the presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 general election, recommended that the 2027 presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the national leader of the party.

“Furthermore, the convention in session reviewed the ongoing development and performance of its Governor in Abia state, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, and passed a vote of confidence on him and recommended the 2027 Abia State gubernatorial ticket of the party be reserved for His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.”

Continuing, the leadership of the party called on President Bola Tinubu to address the rising cases of insecurity ravaging, particularly Kaduna and some other northern states.

The party also threw its weight behind the restructuring and decentralisation of policing architecture to pave the way for regional, state, and local police.

“The convention in session also noted with concerns the renewed insecurity in the country, especially Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, and other states. The convention hereby calls on the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians, which is the primary responsibility of the government.

“We also call for general restructuring of the security architecture to meet up with current security challenges facing the nation. The convention advocated for decentralisation of the Nigerian Police Force to pave the way for regional, state, local, and community policing,” it stated.

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