The federal government yesterday took a major step towards finally resolving its faceoff with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by setting up a tactical committee to review the no-work no-pay policy which the striking lecturers have kicked against.

The lecturers’ union insists that its members have to be paid for the period they were on strike before they return to work.

The setting up of the committee followed a meeting by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, with pro-chancellors, chairmen of Councils as well as Vice Chancellors of universities.

The meeting held behind closed-doors was part of efforts to resolve the seven-month industrial action by lecturers of public universities.

The director press and public relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, disclosed this to journalists after the meeting which lasted for over two hours.

He said the committee is to also look into issues of increase in the salaries of the university lecturers and come up with workable solutions.
 

The spokesman for the ministry did not give a specific timeline for the 14-man committee. He, however, said the committee is expected to come up with its findings in no distant time, and that its report will be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for action.

The federal government help the meeting with vice chancellors and pro-chancellors of its universities in the renewed efforts to end the ongoing strike by ASUU.

After exhaustive deliberations, the stakeholders set up a committee to review the recent report of the Prof. Nimi Brigg’s Committee, which engaged ASUU on its demands from the government.

The minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, at the meeting, described the indefinite strike by ASUU as anguish and internal turmoil to him.

Adamu said he wanted the parties to reach an amicable resolution of all the issues contained in the 2009 agreements because the past two weeks had been a very dark period in the nation’s education sector.

The Briggs’ committee renegotiated the controversial 2009 agreement between the government and the university-based staff unions.

The unions include ASUU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, among others. The 14-man committee was composed of some pro-chancellors, vice-chancellors and other stakeholders.

The government had in March 2022 constituted a seven-man team, chaired by Briggs, to speedily bring to a conclusion all outstanding issues in the 2009 Agreement in order to achieve the desired industrial peace on the campuses but after over seven months, its engagement failed to yield result as the lecturers continued with the strike.

However, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the committee would be chaired by Adamu.

He said Adamu inaugurated the 14-man committee to look into the recommendations on the resolution of the ASUU strike.

Goong named the members of the committee as Professor Olu Obafemi, Professor Nimi Briggs, Udo Udoma, Bashir Dalhatu, Professor Kayode Adebowale (University of Ibadan), Professor Kabir Bala (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria), Professor Lilian Salami (University of Benin), Professor Charles Igwe (University of Nigeria, Nsukka), registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, representatives of the Academy of Letters, Science, Medicine and Social Sciences.

During his presentation, Adamu said he had been in a dark period of personal anguish and internal turmoil following the strike.

Adamu also said the government had done all it could with regard to the ASUU strike, saying that the meeting was to share the details of what the government had done and what remains to be done.

He stated that the main challenge in meeting ASUU’s demands had been the dwindling resources available to address all the concerns of the citizenry.

“For me, this is a position I would have wanted us to reach after an amicable resolution of all the issues contained in the 2009 Agreements. It appears that we are running ahead of the negotiations but not for the right reasons. The president of ASUU has been reported to have said the union would no longer negotiate with the current federal government.

“This position must be resisted. Government and ASUU have no option but to continue talking until our universities have reopened their doors to students, who clearly are the principal victims of the seemingly unending strikes. In the circumstances, therefore, all Councils and Senates of our universities are enjoined to rise up to their responsibilities.

“We must, together, continue to work to restore our public universities to where they were in the 60s and 70s. As the most important officers in our university system, pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors must demonstrate more commitment to ending the ongoing strike.

“As chairmen of councils and Senates – the highest policy and academic bodies in the system – you must consider it your paramount duty to promote policies and actions that will discourage industrial disputes in our campuses. Government will continue to support the physical and academic development of its universities.

“Government will continue to reasonably enhance the working conditions of all university staff, academic and non-teaching. The main challenge, as you are fully aware, is dwindling resources available to address all the concerns of the citizenry. We thank you for your support, understanding and sacrifices,” he said.

Adamu outlined the government’s efforts to resolve the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU on February 14, saying that the government had offered the union a 23.5 percent salary increase “for all categories of the workforce in federal universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35 percent upward review.”

He also said the government promised that a sum of N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 budget as funds for the revitalisation of federal universities, to be disbursed to the institutions in the first quarter of the year.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Academics Peace-building Team which is made up of some former vice-chancellors and pro-chancellors, alongside senior academics in the university system, has pleaded with ASUU to accept some of the offers by the government and end the strike.

The academics, who stated this in a communique, called on the government and the union to find a common ground on the issues at stake.

It also said the deployment of a centralised payment platform for universities negates the principle of autonomy.

Some members of the team include a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Jibril Aminu; a former VC of the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Professor Olufemi Bamiro; a former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Dr Nkechi Nwagogu, among others.

The communiqué reads in parts, “The struggle for university autonomy that formed the major point of dispute since 2003 has to be contextualised in conversation over the IPPIS or UTAS.

“A centralised payment platform for all federal universities fundamentally negates the principle of autonomy. Global best practice in general, and the law establishing the federal universities, vest the power over finances to the Governing Council with the Vice-Chancellor as Chief Accounting Officer.

“The centralisation of salary payment and approval of establishment figures and academic staff recruitment from the office of the Head of Service all negate the core principles on which university governance and administration are founded.

“We make bold to submit that these incursions/features hurt the Nigerian university system very badly.

“While the Federal Government and ASUU both agree that the funding to universities is inadequate, they differ radically on how to fund the shortfall. Both parties need to be very creative and demonstrate the resolve to solve the funding challenge. Government should explore and adopt blended financing options with a strong mix of tax credits for any actors that support tertiary education.

“This way, more money will flow into the system and the fear of education being priced out of the hands of the poor will be mitigated. ASUU’s hardline ideological stand on the matter of non-payment of tuition fees must be moderated to accommodate this possibility as long as the government puts in place the framework to accommodate intelligent but indigent students.

“For the government, it is a matter of political will, which, like many strategic decisions, will be painful at its introductory stage but will translate to long term gains. ASUU is correct in stating that the industrial dispute has lasted this long because the federal government has not shown sufficient commitment toward its resolution.”

The battle for the 2023 presidential election seems to have shifted to Kano State at the moment.

DAILY POST reports that there is an ongoing tussle among the leading presidential candidates to inherit the millions of votes in Kano State, as President Muhammadu Buhari will not be on the ballot.

The supremacy battle between Governor Umar Ganduje, ex-governors Rabiu Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shekarau could decide where the pendulum swings for or against any of the presidential candidates.

For the past 20 years, Buhari monopolized the votes in Kano. In 2011, Buhari under the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) polled 1.6 million votes. Shekarau of the ANPP, was at that point the incumbent governor of Kano State.

In 2015, Buhari polled 1.903 million votes, while PDP polled 215,777 votes. In 2019, even with Kwankwaso in PDP, Buhari still polled 1.4 million votes, leaving Atiku Abubakar with 391,593 votes.

However, during the 2019 governorship election, Ganduje won the election with a margin of 8,982.

With Buhari not on the ballot for the first time in 20 years, presidential candidates are scheming to crack the Kano votes. As it appears, Buhari’s votes are non-transferable to anyone. When he won the 2019 election with a margin of over 1 million votes, two weeks after, Ganduje struggled to win the election with 8,982.

Last week, the candidate of the PDP, Atiku, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa and several other presidential bigwigs were in Kano to receive Shekarau. The main opposition is counting on the former governor to deliver the votes.

Kano’s political cobweb

The ruling party is relying on Governor Ganduje to deliver the votes against his former boss, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP.

The political relationship in the State is like a cobweb. In 2003, Shekarau defeated Kwankwaso and his deputy Ganduje. In 2011, the duo of Kwankwaso and Ganduje made a comeback when they defeated the ruling ANPP led by Shekarau, who had completed his tenure.

By 2016, Kwankwaso, who was in the Senate had a fallout with his successor, Ganduje and was forced to move to the PDP. In the 2019 election, both Ganduje and Shekarau teamed up against Kwankwaso but managed to win the governorship race with less than 10,000 votes

Within this election cycle, Shekarau has been in APC, but left after losing the supremacy battle. He defected to NNPC, however, he claimed that he was betrayed by Kwankwaso and he is now finally in the PDP.

Interestingly, the Shehu Sagagi-led State executive of the Kano PDP is loyal to Kwankwaso. However, on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal removed the Sagagi led exco. Which means Shekarau will be the leader of the PDP in the State.

Chances

The ruling party, APC and Ganduje will rely on their political structure. They have two Senators, several House of Representative members, among others.

During the primaries, Ganduje backed Tinubu completely and was even on campaign entourage to several States. This fueled speculation of Tinubu picking him as running mate, however, the former Lagos State governor settled for Kashim Shettima.

On the other hand, the Kwankwasiyya Movement proved themselves in the last election. They narrowly lost the governorship election with slim margins.

Also, with Kwankwaso on the presidential ballot as the only candidate from the Northwest, many believe that the group is well prepared.

Abdulmummin Jibrin, the spokesperson of Kwankwaso, had recently claimed that his principal is the one to inherit the votes.

“Somebody who is the beneficiary of the 12 million Buhari’s votes. Kwankwaso is the most popular person, most loved.

“He is the person who is going to control those votes. Now look at the dynamics of the election today, there is no sitting governor in the northern part of the country that is contesting for the presidency, so every governor has peculiar challenges in his State,” he said.

Meanwhile, a statement in June had suggested that there could be a possible alignment between Tinubu and Kwankwaso, when the latter said, “If I cannot get (the presidency) I can recommend Tinubu.”

Jubrin responded that there is no alliance between his party and Tinubu.

“People should disregard all these rumours that Kwankwaso is working for Asiwaju,” he said.

Atiku will be looking at how to improve his votes in Kano. The highest votes he has gotten from Kano is 391,593 in 2019.

Although, with Buhari out, he may fancy his chances, but considering that Kwankwaso is on the ballot and Ganduje is working to deliver the State for Tinubu, the Kano votes may be balkanized and not in its usual bulk.

“Atiku and Shekarau will be seeking to convince Kano voters that he is the only one that can ensure the North retains power for another 8 years,” Mohammed Jafar, a political analyst in Kano told DAILY POST.

Where is Peter Obi

Some months back, there was a serious conversation on alliance between Peter Obi and Kwankwaso.

However, the talks broke down because none of the two candidates was willing to deputize.

Still, Obi will be counting on non-indigenes in Sabon Gari and other parts of Kano. Also, he will be relying on the strength of his deputy, Yusuf Datti. Although Datti is from Kaduna State, he is from a large family with strong connections in the north.

It is unclear how these factors will translate to getting a significant bite of the Kano votes.

Tradegood:


We reject Climate change swap deal in the name of JESUS CHRIST.

Osinbanjo, are you not aware that Cliimate change is about a nation yielding up her sovereignty to the UN? Are you not aware?

Osibanjo, are you not aware that the Climate deal is about New world Order globalist agenda? Are you not aware or are you one of them?

Nigerians leaders wake up and be responsible, pay the debt you owe and stop mortgaging the future of unborn Nigerians because you know that you will not be alive when the consequences start showing their fruit.

Future Nigerians deserve to live too.

One moment you were with Kamala, the next you are now her her mouthpiece to Nigerians.

Are you not aware, dear Osibanjo, that Americans fought this very climate change deal and won?

If her people rejected the deal, what makes you think we are the best for the lab rat for the project?

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Viz007:
The most corrupt institution in Nigeria remains NNPC. Till date, NNPC does not produce petrol, yet billions is spent yearly to settle salaries of NNPC workers.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said that from the utterances of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, he is immature.

George, who is also a former Military Governor of Ondo State, stated this on Thursday while inaugurating Omerelu internal roads in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State, which were constructed by the Rivers State government.

He was reacting to Ayu’s recent interview on the BBC Hausa Service where he said those calling for his resignation as the national chairman of the PDP were making mere noise and that they were children when the party was founded.

George said: “You see and you hear when a serving National Chairman of our party is calling elected governors children. Does he think that children don’t grow or there is a life perpetual for him? We need to watch our language. It look to me that it is him that is premature.”

Meanwile, the PDP chieftain stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration has negatively affected the fortunes of the country, adding that only restructuring will guarantee peace and security in the country.

George said: “The government of APC has negatively affected the fortunes of our nation. The only sector that is functioning in the APC government is the monumental corruption in the land.



“Since 2015, insecurity has been rising geometrically, thereby threatening the unity of the country. Today, Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world is at a cross road.

“There is no way we can guarantee peace and security of this country is not restructured. It is my belief that if this country is restructured the way that every locality control the instrumentality of security, wanton killing of Nigerians will stop considerably.

“If our country is also restructured economically, no Commissioner of Finance will be going to Abuja every month to collect remittance in the name of monthly allocation.

“There is no nation in the world that becomes prosperous without becoming industrialized. Industrialization is only achievable in the nation if there is constant power supply. In the last three months, the national grid has collapsed for more than three times but the national greed of the APC government has not collapsed.

“If this country is restructured equitably, the current revenue formula, which the federal government collects 52 percent of centrally collected revenue through the federation account, leaving states with 26.6 percents and local government areas with 24.3 percent.

“Even the so-called fight against corruption is being guided by blind loyalty to their cronies and not in the interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nigerians are tired and are waiting for our party in 2023.

“To have an egalitarian society, restructuring is the answer. We want Nigeria to survive as a nation and that is why we are agitating that Nigeria must be restructured.”

Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed the date for the release of the final lists of presidential and governorship candidates.

The nation’s electoral body also said all hands must be on deck to ensure the success of the elections as the nation is entering critical stages.

The INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the ‘Expert Meeting on Conducting Elections in Volatile Security Environment’, organised in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

Yakubu said on 20th September, 2022 the commission will publish the final list of candidates for national elections (Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives) as provided in Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

He said, “Activities towards the 2023 general elections will enter the critical stages this month. In the next 19 days, that is on 20th September 2022, the commission will publish the final list of candidates for national elections (Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives) as provided in Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities released by the commission.

“This will be followed on 4th October 2022 by the publication of the final list of candidates for State elections (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly). Campaign in public by political parties will officially commence on 28th September 2022 as provided by Section 94 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022.”


He also urged all political parties and candidates to focus on issue-based campaigns.

“This is the best way to complement our efforts to ensure transparent elections in which only the votes cast by citizens determine the winner,” Yakubu said.

He commended the CDD for providing a platform for stakeholders to discuss an important enabler to the full participation of citizens in the electoral process that is election security.

Kudos To INEC For BVAS!

According to him, by bringing together experts, senior security officials and the INEC leadership to share experience and discuss security concerns ahead of the 2023 general election, CDD hopes to kickstart further collaborative engagements among stakeholders around the security challenges ahead of the election.

He said, “It is timely because the election is fast approaching but there is still time to address the security concerns ahead of the election. Most appropriately, I believe that arising from the shared experience of participants at this meeting, specific recommendations will be made to further enrich our understanding of the security issues in the forthcoming election, the various dimensions of the challenges, and, most importantly, possible measures to respond to them to ensure that elections peacefully hold nationwide as required by law.

“The commission welcomes this initiative and as co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), there is no doubt that the security agencies also welcome ideas and citizens’ support towards peaceful elections.

“After all, only recently the office of the Inspector General of Police organised a nationwide capacity-building for police personnel on election security. The Police was not only motivated by the same concern of ensuring a secure environment for the election but also enhancing the professionalism of police personnel on election duty.”

Earlier, the director, CDD, Idayat Hassan, said that the event was important, especially based on the coming 2023 elections, the seventh consecutive elections since the return to democracy in 1999 and also being the second time Nigeria is having a transition from one government to another government.

“This represents the fact that as a country, we do respect the maximum two term-limit. This election is generating a lot of excitement, one because of the youth interest in the election and importantly because of the new Electoral Act, which has infused technological innovations into our election as can be seen in the Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections,” Hassan said.

She said that the prevailing insecurity across the country is a source of concern and which must be addressed, especially since they are not the normal electoral violence, but it can also add to the electoral violence.

On his part, the director (Development) Foreign Commonwealth and Development, Dr. Chris Pycroft, said that the 2023 elections are very critical and that security is a top priority in the relationship between the British and Nigerian governments.

“Nigeria is facing more challenges than ever before to deliver a peaceful and secured elections. At the same time, the demand for democracy remains unchanged, especially among Nigerian expanding youth populations who continue to grow.

“These elections are important not only to Nigeria, or Africa but to the world. Democracy across the world is under threat and Nigeria can demonstrate the power of democracy to represent the world and ambition of a nation,” he said.

The crisis that has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated yesterday as the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, drew the battle line with aggrieved chieftains calling for his resignation.

He described those calling for his removal as children who did not witness the birth of the main opposition party.

He said the “children” were nowhere when PDP was formed.

In 1999, when Ayu was a minister in the cabinet of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike was the chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State.

Ayu had earlier served as Senate President from 1992 and 1993 when Wike was a law student at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.

In a veiled reference to a caucus in his party demanding his sack, led by Wike, the chairman said he will not quit.

He insisted that he has a four-year mandate, adding that he has not spent a year in office.

Ayu said his fate was not tied to the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, because he was a product of the party’s constitution.

However, Wike said he cannot be intimidated by anyone in the PDP.

He said Rivers will soon decide on the 2023 elections.

Ayu opened up for the first time on the protracted crisis in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service.

He said the leaders of the party will not allow any individual to destabilise it.

Ayu said: “I was voted as PDP chairman for a four-year tenure and I’m yet to complete a year.

“Atiku’s victory doesn’t affect the chairman’s position. I won my election based on our party’s constitution.

“I didn’t commit any offence; I’m only reforming the party. So, I’m not bothered by all the noises.

“I know I’m doing my work and I didn’t steal any money. So, I see no reason for all these talks.

“When we started PDP, these children were not around. They are children who do not know why we formed the party.

“We will not allow any individual to destabilise our party.”

Wike: get ready for decision

Wike, who spoke yesterday during the flag-off of Igwuruta road construction in Ikwere Local Government Area, told the crowd to get ready for an important decision soon.

The governor said Rivers would soon take a decision and declare its position on next year’s election.

He said Rivers’ votes would no longer be acquired freely, adding that those interested in the state’s support must make an acceptable offer to its people.

He said: “Nobody should come and deceive you. No amount of social media war against us can solve any problem.

“Anybody who wants our votes must tell us what is there for us. Our vote is no longer for dash. It is for you to tell us what you will give to us.

“If you have given to Adamawa, you have given to Benue and you have given to Delta, won’t you give Rivers? What should we take? You just want to come and collect votes. It won’t happen.

“The God of confusion will put confusion in them. They think it is Rivers State that they are doing. They are doing themselves. They will see confusion from now to the end until they withdraw and understand that there was no road there.”