₦airaland Forum

Sai baba...not looking like farmer

The chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti chapter, Prof. Olufayo Olu, has lamented that hunger, occasioned by non-payment of salary, is killing members of staff of the institution.

According to the don, four members of the university community died in the last two months due to inability to raise money for their health challenges as the institution is owing them six months’ salary arrears.

Addressing a press conference at the university on Sunday Prof Olu, also decried alleged underfunding of the state- owned institution saying the situation is gradually killing the school he described as a "glorified secondary school."

Olufayo noted that EKSU’s standard has nosedived in the last few years due to poor funding by the state government.

The don said for the university to meet the global standard, it would need about N600m as monthly subvention contrary to the paltry N260m being released to the school by the government.

Olu lamentedthat the staff had been placed on half salary in the last one month, but threatened a showdown with the university management if their gross salaries arrears of April , May and June, 2017 are not paid before Christmas celebration.

The ASUU leader further said that efforts taken by the institution to articulate all the problems confronting the university and inform Governor Ayodele Fayose about them, and to make him see reasons for increase in subvention and taking of the issues of welfare seriously had fallen on deaf ears.

“As I speak with you, we have not received Earned Academic Allowance for six years. The management just paid some of us that of 2011 to 2014 by borrowing a sum of N200m from the bank. I don’t know how others will get theirs with this paucity of fund.

“The university has a wage bill of N455m, so there is little we can do with a paltry sum of N260m monthly subvention from the government. Even, our university has not got any for about six months, the university has always been borrowing to pay net salary.

“Within the last one year, the total number of additional workers has almost caught up with total number of employees since inception in 1982 without increment in budgetary allocation to the institution.

“The consequences of poor funding and unregulated employment have been irregular payment of salaries, poor research, poor learning environment, increased health casualties, epileptic power supply, inability to pass accreditation, staff and students’ agitations, among others.

“Only God will know the fate of the university by the time we have full- fledged College of Medicine , Pharmacy and Dentistry.

“Not minding the above, the lecturers have been working assiduously to bring the university to an enviable world class standard by all known means, a mission seemingly impossible except by a faithless faith”.

Olu commended the national leadership of the union for intervening in the crisis rocking the university as well as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for executing meaningful projects in the institution.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/4-eksu-lecturers-die-of-hunger-in-2-months-over-unpaid-salaries.html


Mynd44
OAM4J

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) on his 80th birthday anniversary.

The president, in a congratulatory letter he personally signed, wrote: “On behalf of the Federal Executive Council, my family and all Nigerians, please accept my warm felicitations on your 80th birthday.

“I share in the grace and joy that comes with this special day, having keenly followed your leadership trajectory over the years in selfless service to the nation, courageous military career and building a versatile business empire.”

Buhari, who also lauded Danjuma’s various roles in stabilising the country, said: “As you turn 80 years, the meritorious role you played during the Nigerian civil war easily comes to mind, and as a nation, we are grateful for your numerous interventions in the political space to ensure peace, stability and secure a future of one nation for our children.

“I believe your birthday is unique and memorable for the life you live in constantly looking out for the weak and vulnerable among us, which naturally inspired the TY Danjuma Foundation, and more recently, your acceptance to serve as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative.”

The president wished Danjuma God’s blessings of good health and longer life to continue in the service of humanity.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/president-buhari-salutes-ty-danjuma-at-80.html

Mr Bashir Ahmad, an aide to Sen. Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) on Youth Matters has been kidnapped.

Sani, who made the announcement on his Facebook post, said Ahmad, 45, was kidnapped by some gunmen in Tudun Wada Area of Kaduna South, Kaduna State on Dec. 8.

He said the victim had some weeks ago reported to the police that some unknown gunmen had visited his residence in search of him.

“I received the news of the abduction of one of my youth leaders and brother in the person of Mallam Bashir Ahmad by masked Gunmen in Tudun Wada Area of Kaduna South.

“Eye witness narrated that the masked Gunmen molested Mallam Bashir Ahmad before whisking him away to an unknown destination.

“Some weeks ago, Mallam Bashir raised alarm and reported to the Police when he was told by neigbours that some armed mask men came looking for him when he was not at home,’’ he said.

The lawmaker said, relevant security agencies had been alerted on the incidence.

According to him, efforts will be put in place to secure his freedom.

Sani assured Ahmad’s family and friends that he and other well-wishers would continue to remember him in their prayers, and that they would stand solidly by him until he returned home

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/senator-shehu-sani-s-aide-kidnapped.html

Former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar says he was inspired by the courage of conviction of the late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua.

Atiku, who said this on Friday in a tribute marking the 20th memorial anniversary of the late Katsina soldier and politician whom he also described as “democracy martyr”, spoke on how late General Yar'Adua inspired him with his extraordinary courage as well as organisational and mobilisation skills.

The Waziri Adamawa described Shehu Yar'Adua as a fearless politician who was not ready to compromise his principles at the expense of the cause he was fighting.

He said that, although Yar'Adua was a military man, his passion for democracy was amazing and his courage extraordinary.

Atiku also said that Yar'Adua's patriotism and commitment to Nigeria's unity and peaceful coexistence was one of the remarkable virtues that attracted him to the Katsina General.

According to Atiku, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua was not a timid democrat who abandoned his beliefs because of fear or opportunistic reasons for political survival.

He said that during the 1994/95 National Constitutional Conference, General Yar'Adua was among the few voices that told General Sani Abacha not to stay longer than one year in office and prepare a transition programme within the shortest time frame.

The former Vice President said Yar'Adua's position turned out to be inconsistent with General Abacha's hidden agenda; and that from that moment, Yar'adua became a marked man.

He stated that the mentorship of Yar'Adua is enduring to his political life, especially as it relates to the unity of Nigeria and the promotion and defence of its territorial integrity.

The Waziri Adamawa said that the former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, deserved a unique place in the pantheon of Nigeria's democratic heroes.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/shehu-musa-yar-adua-inspired-me-atiku.html

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Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has said that the Plateau and Kaduna State Governments are working round the clock with security operatives to have the Plateau PDP Chairman, Chief Damishi Sango, released.

Sango, a former Minister of Sports, and four others were abducted by unknown persons on Wednesday evening at Jere-Kaduna on their way to Abuja from Jos.
Lalong, in a statement signed by his Director of Press, Mr Emmanuel Nanle, on Friday said that the state governments were working for their unconditional release without delay.
“I received with deep concern the news of the abduction of Hon. Damishi T. Sango, Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Plateau State and four others at Jere, Kaduna State on their way to Abuja.
“To say the least I am most saddened by this act of inhumanity to man that must be condemned totally,” he said.
Lalong while sympathising with members of the families of the kidnap victims and the PDP over their traumatising experience, also called for calm.
He assured travelers on Plateau-Kaduna and Kaduna-Abuja routes, that the Federal and the state governments were taking every step to ensure that the roads were secured from armed robbers and kidnappers.
The governor further enjoined Plateau citizens to be vigilant while on transit and ensure that they reported all suspected criminal movements they noticed to the relevant authorities. (NAN)

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/-we-are-working-with-security-agencies-to-secure-sango-s-release-gov-lalong.html

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We are hopefully waiting...

ok

Chai!

There is hope in life....

Congrats

sai baba...APC is working!

Despite assurances given by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC against any impending fuel crisis, most filling stations, particularly in the South-west part of the country, are still without the product.

But, petrol stations in Abuja and environs are having normal operations, while stations in other parts of the country are having mixed experiences, as government regulatory agencies scramble to resolve the current crisis with fuel marketers before the expiration of Monday deadline.

Most of the filling stations in Lagos and environs have not been attending to motorists who remained on Tuesday in long queues for hours.

NNPC spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the queues at some filling stations were as a result of panic buying by consumers.

He said the corporation not only has adequate stock of fuel in its depots across the country, also supplied the marketers enough to meet consumers’ demand throughout the Yuletide season and beyond.

“The fuel queues witnessed in some parts of the country is due to panic buying by motorists. We have assured the people that the NNPC has sufficient stock of petroleum products to last throughout the coming festive season and beyond.

“Besides, before the GMD (Group Managing Director) traveled out of the country last week, he ordered that more cargoes be supplied to both Lagos and Abuja areas. On his return, he repeated the directive, to ensure that the situation is brought under control as soon as possible,” Mr. Ughamadu said.

Regardless, our reporters in Lagos and environs said the situation worsened since Monday following the declaration by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, at the weekend about plans to withdraw services come Monday, December 11, 2017.

Our reporters observed that none of the three filling stations visited in Ikeja, namely Total, Conoil and NNPC Mega station along Kudirat Abiola Way, was dispensing fuel to the public.

At Total and Conoil stations, service attendants, who said they had no stock of products to sell to their customers, blamed the situation on the activities of fuel hoarders.

However, outside the NNPC station, there was a long queue of motorists, with only few cars being attended to inside, despite claims by its officials that they were out of stock.

“I hope this situation does not get out of hand in the days ahead,” a tricycle operator on the queue, who identified himself simply as Sylvester lamented. “The government should sort out whatever issue there is with the marketers to make fuel available.”

On the mainland and island parts of Lagos, several filling stations remained shut, with the impact already reflecting on the transport fares in the area.

Our correspondent, who moved around Abule-Egba axis reports that many independent marketers’ retail outlets were shut for business.

In Falomo area of Ikoyi, although the NNPC filling station was opened for business, there was a long queue of vehicles waiting to be served.

Some of those who spoke with our correspondent said many other stations in the area had either hiked their prices, or refused to open their facilities to the public.

“They are still selling at N143 per litre at NNPC,” a commercial bus driver, who identified himself simply as “Super”, told our reporter.

“Others have already raised the price to N150 per litre, while others are not even selling,” another resident who declined to disclose his name said.

At Obalende, officials of the NNPC fuel depot, declined to talk with our correspondent on the situation.

The situation in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital and environs, was chaotic, as most filling stations have since raised the fuel pump price to N150 per litre, against the usual N145.

At Petrosen, an independent marketer’s filling station, along Oron Road, a notice to customers said the increase was due to alleged hike in the ex-depot price of fuel to marketers at the Port Harcourt products storage facility.

A salesman at the filling station informed PREMIUM TIMES that the new rate came into effect five days ago.

However, another filling station belonging to one of the major marketers in the city, was still selling to customers at N145, with minimal queues outside, while the NNPC mega station around Itam flyover was selling fuel at N143 per litre.

In Port Harcourt, a petrol dealer told PREMIUM TIMES that there was scarcity at the NNPC fuel depot in Eleme.

“But you can easily see people trading on black market around the depot, especially those lifting products to Akwa Ibom State,” the dealer said. “They buy it at about N148 in the black market.”

Petrol is currently selling at N145 at filling stations around Port Harcourt, while at the outskirts of the city, it is slightly higher, at N146 per litre.

Meanwhile, in Ogun State, most filling stations visited in Abeokuta and environs, including the NNPC mega station, were selling fuel to customers normally.

In Ondo and Osun states, our reporter said there was panic in Akure, as a result of poor fuel supply to fuel stations in the area.

Long queues of motorists were found outside Mobil filling stations at Fiwayase Junction; Conoil and Oando along Ondo Road.

At Oda Road, nearly all the stations, which sold fuel on Monday, had shut down by Tuesday afternoon when our reporter visited.

An official at Sieve Petrol said service would restart, after they received a tanker of fresh products the station was expecting at 6 p.m.

“We don’t know what is causing the problem,” the official who gave his name as Kunle, said. “It is only in Akure we have this problem. We learnt there is fuel in other places,” he said.

In Osogbo, PREMIUM TIMES learnt there was rush by residents to stock fuel following reports of imminent scarcity of the product, although a number of filling stations were still selling.

Bovas Petrol, a popular filling station in the city centre, was shut, giving credence to the theory of an imminent fuel scarcity in the area.

In Ekiti State, there were no signs of scarcity, as most filling stations along Adebayo Road and other places in Ado Ekiti were operating normally.

In Abuja, most filling stations were operating normally, with no signs of fuel scarcity.

At Conoil filling station, along Nnamdi Azikiwe Express Way, Area 1, only few vehicles were waiting to be served.

Other filling stations along Olusegun Obasanjo way, namely Oando, Forte Oil, and Advance Link were also selling fuel with little or no queues.

The situation outside the NNPC Mega Filling station along Olusegun Obasanjo way, Central Business District, was different, with a lengthy queue of motorists stretching about 300 metres long.

One of the motorists on the queue, who said he came all the way from Kubwa to buy fuel, said the queue began building up since last Saturday apparently following reports of an impending nationwide strike by marketers.

“The situation has been bad since Saturday. I could not get fuel to buy from the filling stations in my area, except from the black marketers”, he said.

The NNPC station along Kubwa Expressway and the one by Gwarimpa gates had long queues, while NIPCO and Conoil filling stations along Airport expressway were closed for business at about 7 p.m.

Only those already inside the station were being attended to, contrary to their usually practice on other days where customers would be attended to till 9 p.m.

Independent marketers’ ultimatum

The confusion about the return of fuel scarcity became rife at the weekend, forcing the NNPC to issue a statement on Monday to douse tension, and reassure Nigerians that government had no plans to adjust neither retail nor wholesale price of petroleum products in the country.

The ex-depot price is paid marketers before lifting products at the depot, while pump price is the retail price by consumers per litre of the fuel at the filling stations.

Last week, the IPMAN in Lagos State threatened to withdraw its services from next Monday, December 11, 2017 over alleged breach of agreement by the NNPC over prices.

IPMAN Chairman, Alanamu Balogun, had accused the NNPC of defaulting in the bulk purchase agreement they reached to sell fuel to them at N133.28 per litre.

He said, in the last eight months, IPMAN members had been running their filling stations at a loss due to the refusal of the NNPC to honour the agreement.

Mr. Balogun said products were being sold at ex-depot price of N141 per litre to IPMAN members by Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPMAN, in addition to the normal running costs, bank charges and other operational expenses.

The development, he pointed out, had made it practically impossible for IPMAN members to dispense fuel at the N145 per litre approved retail price.

He said the only way to break even was for its members to sell fuel at N146 per litre, because of NNPC’s alleged ”diversion of IPMAN supplies to DAPMAN at about N117 per litre, while DAPMAN in turn have been selling to IPMAN members at N141 per litre.”

Consequently, the marketers threatened to withdraw their services throughout Lagos and environs if the NNPC refused to honour its agreement with them.

The bulk of petroleum products distributed in Nigeria is consumed in the Lagos area and environs.

NNPC reacts

Meanwhile, Mr. Ughamadu said the issue has nothing to do with the NNPC.

He noted that the corporation sells products to marketers according to the prices arrived at by the two industry regulatory agencies, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, and Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

He said the two agencies have waded into the issue with the marketers, to pave the way for uninterrupted fuel supply in the country, particularly at the coming Christmas season.

“The ex-depot petrol price of N133.38 per litre and the pump price of N143/N145 per litre have not changed,” Mr. Ughamadu said.

While he said the corporation has enough stock of petroleum products to guarantee uninterrupted supply and distribution of products across the country, the NNPC spokesperson reiterated the call on consumers to avoid panic buying and hoarding.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/251527-fuel-queues-emerge-nationwide-nnpc-others-scramble-abort-crisis.html

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has denied the media report that that suggested that the forum has approved the purported second term bidof President Muhammadu Buhari.

The forum's convener, Paul Unongo, was quoted in an interview that President Buhari had been adopted as the candidate of the north.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the forum's director of logistic at its national secretariat, Captain Bashir Sodangi, said all the views expressed by Unongo in the said interview represented his personal opinion and not that of NEF.

The statement pointed out that the forum which had not met since September 2017 had never discussed the politics of 2019 not to talk of adopting a candidate.

"It follows therefore that NEF has at no time recently met, discussed or adopted a common candidate for the 2019 presidency.

"If at any time the NEF should meet on 2019, our position supported by detailed reasons, shall be duly communicated through our official communication channel as usual," the statement read in part.

The NEF, while thanking Nigetians for their concern and cooperation, also urged them to be patient.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/northern-elders-forum-denies-endorsing-buhari-for-2nd-term.html

good

hmmm

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has warned that more party leaders may leave the ruling party after the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Frank, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, said the leadership of the party should be remorseful, following the resignation of the Wazirin Adamawa and many others.

He attributed Atiku’s defection to the failure of APC leaders at national level, saying he had predicted the recent development in the APC.

He said, “It is high time the APC realised that politics is about number; every youth, man or woman is important. The kind of arrogance going on in the party led some of us out of the PDP in those days. But we have now realized that it is even worse in the APC.

“Though it’s already getting late, but if this impunity is not tackled between now and early next year, the APC may witness the mother of all defections to opposition parties.

“As for me, I’m still a member of the APC because I believe I have worked hard to bring about the ruling party as a young man. But if the impunity does not stop, I will be left with no option.

“Not only me, but some other serving governors, members of the National Assembly and other known party leaders across the country have to decide their political future elsewhere,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/-more-apc-leaders-may-leave--frank.html

Up PDP...

RIP

hmmm

Enemies die!die!die!die...