₦airaland Forum

China is building a bridge across a lake in Ladakh on China’s Himalayan border with India — a move condemned by the Indian government, which called it an “illegal construction.”

It is the second and sturdier of two Chinese bridges across the Pangong Tso lake.

Speaking to CNBC, a retired general of the Indian Army, who used to be stationed in Ladakh, said the new bridge is capable of supporting tanks and armored personnel carriers and would help China speed up deployment between the river banks.

“What the bridge adds to Chinese capabilities is the ability to speedily move forces between the north and the south banks of Pangong Tso lake, which they were earlier lacking” said General Rohit Gupta, who served with the Fire and Fury Corps of the Northern Command of the Indian Army.

Ladakh is the site of an ongoing confrontation between the two nations.

It was a flashpoint between India and China in mid-2020, when violent clashes killed 20 Indian soldiers and five Chinese soldiers, according to their respective governments. Other reports set the Chinese death toll higher, at between 38 and 45 Chinese soldiers.

Pangong Tso lake is in disputed territory claimed by both countries. China has controlled two-thirds of the lake since the 1960s, and India holds the remaining one-third.
“We have seen reports of a bridge being constructed by China on Pangong Lake alongside its earlier bridge. Both these bridges are in areas that have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since the 1960s,” India’s external affairs ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters last week.

“We have never accepted such illegal occupation of our territory, nor have we accepted the unjustified Chinese claim or such construction activities,” he said.

According to Gen. Gupta, the new bridge — which shortens the 130-kilometer distance between the southern and northern banks of the lake — is part of an attempt to negate a tactical Indian advantage in the area.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/25/china-is-building-a-bridge-on-a-disputed-himalayan-border-with-india.html

In the job of boot licking, nobody wants to take chances.

Rahym001:
MWA for FCEs& Polytechnic confirmed this morning first bank

I don't mean to intrude but is the amount close to 50k?

Coming from someone who cannot pay his workers.

Never you underestimate Nigeria domainers.

symbuul:
I want to use epik' for my sales due to their crypto payouts but I don't understand the bolded in the requirements

Shouldn't be under 60 days lock.

emorse:
Not just that. ASUU has ulterior motives. This much is clear. All federal workers are on IPPIS. The police, military, civil service, etal without any complaint. Why has ASUU chosen to be adamant?

It's funny how we react to issues without adequate information. Have you ever made efforts to find out if those staff that work in those ministries are comfortable or happy with the IPPIS platform. My neighbour who happens to be prison warder keeps complaining about IPPIS all the time. For your information, there is no way a lecturer can work as a full time staff in two federal universities except you are on sabbatical leave. NUC only permits one to work as full term in one university and part-time in another institution.

For the sake of his health, he needs to visit the gym or see a gym instructor.

Beress:
Heard they've started paying ASUU...Can anybody confirm this pls

Where did you get the information?

If not for insecurity in Nigeria, this is one of places I would've loved to visit.

THE tripartite plus meeting convened by the Federal Government with the striking university based unions last night ended without any concrete agreement for the workers to go back to work.
In fact, the four university based unions that are on strike rebuffed all the government plea for them to suspend the strike while efforts are made to address the contentious issues..

At the meeting between the federal government team, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, theSenior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Acasemic Staff Union of Educational Institutions, NASU and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, as well as identified interest groups and Civil society organizations, over the on-going industrial actions in the Universities was held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja,
It was meant to prevail on the striking workers to accept a deal of calling off their strike while efforts are being made to resolve the dispute.

However, the unions refused to back down from continuing the strike saying that there was nothing on ground from the government side to warrant that.

Although ASUU President refused to speak to journalists on the outcome of the meeting, one of the union members said that there was nothing new except that the government team wanted them to call off the strike which they rejected.

According to him, “There was nothing on ground for us to consider. We are not stopping the strike untill something concrete is done.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige who spoke to journalists after the meeting said: “We have reached some agreements and we hope that by next week, those agreements will be maturing and the different unions will have something to tell their members, so that they can call off the strike.

“We have put some timelines for some aspects like renegotiation of 2009 agreement in terms of condition of service and wage review. So, we are hopeful that by next weekend, the unions will see a conclusion of that area”.

Earlier, while addressing the leadership of the unions and stakeholders at the opening of the talks, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari appealed to the striking university workers to sheathe their sword and agree to return to work while discussions over their demands go on.

He said that something needs to be done urgently to reopen the institutions and to prevent students from protesting on the streets.

According to him, allowing the strike to prolong further will not be in the interest of anyone, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated the team to try and end the strike so that students, lecturers and other workers can go back to work.

On their part, the two Co-chair of the Nigeria Interreligious Council (NIREC), Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar II and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Samson Ayokunle urged ASUU and the non-teaching staff unions to accept the President’s plea and suspend their strike while efforts are made to address the issues in dispute.

Ayokunle specifically urged the lecturers to go back to work and allow a grace period within which concrete action will be taken to Implement aspects of the agreement.

However ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said that before the current strike, the union had given enough period of grace to enable the government and its agencies to meet with them and to address their demands but to no avail.

He said that government has withheld the salaries of the lecturers as a strategy to force them resume work.

He said that most of the contents of the 2020 Memoradum of Action were based on the federal government sponsored NEEDS assessment on all federal universities in 2013.

As a result of the assessment, Osodake said that federal government agreed that a total sum of N1.3 trillion is needed to fund the revitalization of the universities.

According to him, the release of the money was to be stretched over a six year period.

He said that the Jonathan-led administration commenced the Implementation with release of the first tranche of N200 billion in 2014.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2022/05/university-unions-turned-down-fg-plea-to-re-open-schools/amp/

Smith Rowe and Ben White are supposed to be on this game.

Na wao for Arteta. He shouldn't have benched white.

Prof. Muhammad Waziri of Geography Dept. University of Maiduguri wrote:

If 20,000 students make a trip to the campus by public transport with an average of N200 daily, that's N4m.
If 20,000 students eat lunch at school at N200 daily, that's another N4m.
If 20,000 students photocopy 20 pages of document at N10 each daily, that's another N4m

By this, just 20,000 students inject N12m daily to the local economy.
During 3 months of strike, N1.08bn is lost by transporters, food vendors, business centres.etc.
Expand this to the actual number of students in the Universities in the country.

BUT WHO CARES?

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it would not yield to the decision by the Nigerian government to “starve” its members over the ongoing prolonged strike.

It described the decision as ill-advised, and said rather than forcing its members to back down, it would complicate matters.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, reiterated this on Monday in a statement issued to announce the extension of the three-month-old strike by additional three months.

He decried the failure of the government to accede to its request, and accused the elected and appointed government officials of showing no concern because their children and wards allegedly school abroad.

The statement reads in part; “Government’s resort to the use of starvation as a weapon for breaking the collective resolve of ASUU members and undermine our patriotic struggle to reposition public universities in Nigeria is ill-advised and may prove counterproductive”

The labour and employment minister, Chris Ngige, has never hesitated to state the government’s capacity to invoke Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, which he noted empowers an employer to refuse to pay a worker who may embark on strike, “especially those on essential services.”

PREMIUM TIMES is aware that the government has since March stopped the payment of salaries for the striking ASUU members.



https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/528652-strike-no-work-no-pay-policy-cant-break-us-ASUU-tells-government.html

.

Kyase:
Yes ASUU is wrong and obviously the strike will continue indefinitely.....
But this time Na dem to tire, schools are backing out already, so they can't sustain it....

Apart from some states universities and newly established federal universities, which federal universities have pulled out from the strike?

subsidywise18:
The money APC makes from selling form cannot meet ASUU demands even if Bubu wills it.

ASUU needs trillions of naira for university funding. APC at best would not raise up to a trillion from sale of forms

Apart from their welfares and the platform for payment of salaries, what ASUU is demanding for is 200bn. The last time such amount was released was under President Goodluck.

Coldie:
To me there should be a no work no pay policy in this Nigeria. You can’t strike for 1year and still get paid salaries it doesn’t work like that

But they are not receiving their salaries except for NASU and SSANU.

subsidywise18:
ASUU and fg should face the reality and raise fees.

Or take a fat loan from the IMF to the tune of 5 trillion naira.

If you increase fees, the same student will still go on rampage.

princeemmma:
What do you think will happen if ASSU demand are not met by May 15.

Will ASUU continue with the strike if there demands are not by the end of the extended strike period.

Will they continue with the strike? Do you feel ASUU is wrong by going on strike and even extending the strike?

The first one was one month warning strike. They rolled it over to two months. If after the two months warning strike nothing happened, they'll roll it over to three months.

habsydiamond:
To them education is a scam... Why do you expect when all required to rule this country is a ssce cert.. This tells us that nobody cares in the govt if ASUU stays at home for 1000days as long as their own salaries, and allowances are paid as at when due.. They Re good to go

Polytechnics right now are preparing to embark on a strike. Na who we offend for this country?

Ever since ASUU embarked on their strike, we've not for one day heard from the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. Why take up a position when it's quite obvious you are not fit to do the job. What happens to tendering your resignation. To add insult to the whole thing, Mr. President don't seem to care. Na wao for naija.

GreenAgain:
Kemi Adeosun, former minister of finance, visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun state, on Sunday.

Adeosun was accompanied by Adeseye Senfuye, former accountant-general of Ogun state, and Wale Adeosun, chief executive officer of Kuramo Capital.

https://www.thecable.ng/photos-kemi-adeosun-visits-obasanjo-in-abeokuta/amp

This woman and her phoné that time. See as she humble for second picture. Power is indeed transient. Make maximum use of it when you have the opportunity. Impact positively on people's lives so that when you leave the position, your legacies will there to speak for you.

Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger from Illinois announced legislation that would allow the U.S. to respond to the Russian war in Ukraine with military force if Vladimir Putin “escalates his war,” according to a statement.

The measure, named Authorization for Use of Military Force to Defend America’s Allies Resolution of 2022, would, if passed, pave the way for the U.S. military to respond if Russia uses chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

“The targeting of civilians, mass executions, and countless reports of rape by Russian forces have gone largely unchecked. We must take action to put a stop to these atrocities. Words matter, but so do our actions,” Kinzinger is quoted as saying in the statement. “I’m introducing this AUMF as a clear redline so the administration can take appropriate action should Russia use chemical, biological, and/or nuclear weapons. We must stand up for humanity and we must stand with our allies.”

Also currently sitting in front of Congress is President Joe Biden’s request for $33 billion in aid to Ukraine, which has gotten delayed by an ask for an additional $10 billion for Covid-19 relief funding. Earlier this week the House passed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 after the legislation received Senate approval. President Biden’s signature of the bill would allow the U.S. to lend or lease weapons to Ukraine



https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/01/live-updates-latest-news-on-russia-and-the-war-in-ukraine.html

It's not going to be easy. Moreover, Nigeria is a member of OPEC. What it implies is that the amount of oil production is regulated unlike Russia that's not a member.

Double standard.

Congratulations to him. In this difficult moment, I wish for him money for antenatal, child delivery, diapers, cereals and milk etc.

I don't know about you but over here my Internet is still working.

Wazobia2216:
What will you say about adamu adamu

He's a good definition of a scarecrow.

JAMO84:
PDP will soon release a similar statement, it's opposition politics, so what's your point?

Are they not currently incharge of the government? Well, it's easy to criticise especially when you're not in any position. They should use their good office now that they are in power to put a stop on the incessant strike.

APC PRESS RELEASE: APC slams FG for sack threat against university lecturers - by: Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the Federal Government for issuing a sack threat against striking university teachers, saying the resort to such military-era tactics reflects the FG's poverty of ideas in resolving the prolonged ASUU strike.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party in particular criticized the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, for the way he talked down on the striking teachers, while issuing the ill-advised, go-back-to-work-or-be-sacked threat.

''Wike's language was crude, his presentation was rude and his threat was demeaning and counter-productive. We believe his lack of finesse and the inability to think out of the box in handling the whole strike issue will not bode well for a quick resolution of the crisis.

''We also disagree with the Minister's inference that the lecturers should automatically call off the strike because the President intervened and sat for long hours with them. It is this unnecessary deification of a democratically-elected President that has almost turned this President into an Emperor. What is the big deal in President Jonathan sitting with ASUU members, his former colleagues for that matter? What is a President elected to do if not to solve problems?'' it queried.

APC considers it unfortunate that Wike can be threatening to sack university teachers at a time there is a shortfall of 60,000 lecturers in Nigerian universities, adding that the threat itself has shown that the FG does not understand the enormity of the problems facing public universities in particular and the education sector in general.

''The poor remuneration of university teachers and the inadequate facilities for teaching and learning in our public universities have combined to trigger a brain drain in the institutions. The pauperization and frustration of the teachers through the non-implementation of the pacts aimed at ameliorating the situation have discouraged those who may want to become university teachers. Yet, the few who have defied the odds to take to this noble path of helping to mold our future leaders are being threatened with dismissal. This betrays a painful lack of understanding of the long and tortuous path it takes to produce a university teacher.

''It also shows that the so-called Supervising Minister of Education is not better than the misguided market women who, having being hired and paid to protest against ASUU, threatened to invade the universities to chase out the lecturers if they won't call off the strike.

''This is what a country gets when it puts round pegs in square holes. It is not everyone who can mobilize campaign funds for the President or organize thugs during an election who should be rewarded with a ministerial post, not to talk of being given
such a sensitive ministry as that of education, which is directly responsible for the future of our youth and of course our country. No one who knows the value of education will toe the path taken by Wike in issuing his empty threat,'' the party said.

It said ASUU was right in demanding certain benchmarks, including the non-victimization clause and the need for a senior government official, like the Attorney-General, to sign the agreement, before calling off its strike, in view of the fact that the FG has a history of reneging on its agreements.

''Yes, our party is eager for this prolonged strike to end so that our youths who have been marooned at home for five months can resume their academic pursuit. Yes, we believe this strike has gone on for way too long, and that it will impact negatively on our country's development in the long run. But we believe the issues at stake must be resolved once and for all, so that we won't have a repeat of these recurring strikes.

''The onus rests on the FG to work with ASUU to resolve this lingering crisis. President Jonathan should get off his high horse, roll up his sleeves as Presidents elsewhere do and tackle squarely what has now become one of the biggest challenges facing his administration.

''However, if the Jonathan administration has run out of ideas, as we now fear it has, going by the infantile threats being issued by it, then let it hands off the negotiations and allow other stakeholders to find a way out. We are all stakeholders in the education of our youths,'' APC said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
Interim National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Dec. 1st 2013