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ASUU faults sack of 400 members
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said over 400 members have been sacked in the last 10 or 15 years for fighting for their rights and interest of the university system.
The intimidation and persecution, ASUU said, are common in state-owned institutions as governors, who are visitors to these institutions, don’t tolerate opposing views and policies.
Past ASUU Chairman of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, Dr. Dele Ashiru, stated this during a Leadership Training Workshop for new union executives at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
Participants were exposed to topics, such as, qualities required of leaders of the union for effective performance and principles of collective bargaining and negotiation.
According to Ashiru, the union has been standing against persecution and would continue to fight for the genuine interest of its members. He stressed that the union would not tolerate any unethical behaviour from any of its members.
He said: “ASUU has been supporting members who were persecuted for fighting for the interest of the union and for betterment of the university system, and will continue to do this if it is in collective interest.
“On the other hand, the union has sanctioned many erring members who engaged in unethical practices and will still do so if there are confirmed infractions. ASUU has zero tolerance for unethical practices and will continue to emphasise this to its members. The union does not tolerate indiscipline of any sort.”
Citing the case of members at the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, where 100 of them were sacked, and in Kogi State, where similar experience happened, Ashiru lamented that the deliberate persecution of union members has affected the morale of lecturers, adding that the union often clashes with management of institutions over unpalatable policies which oftentimes have political colouration.
Acting branch Chairman of ASUU-OOU, Dr. Wasiu Olooto, said the workshop was organised to educate the executives on what is expected of them in discharging their roles and to know their limitations as well.
The union has also called on President Bola Tinubu to sign the Nimi Briggs renegotiated draft as a sign of goodwill and assured hope for public universities.
It said repositioning public universities for global recognition will remain a mirage without the Federal Government implementing the Nimi Briggs report.
At a joint news conference by the Usman Danfodiyo University (UDUS) and Sokoto State University chapters, the union highlighted renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, withheld salary, earned academic allowances, illegal dissolution of governing councils, among other critical aspects, as issues disturbing public universities.
The conference was addressed by the branch chairmen Muhammad Mustapha (UDUS) and Saidu Abubakar (Sokoto State University).
They said: “We are dismayed by the Federal Government’s refusal to implement the already concluded Nimi Briggs report on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement. Also is implementation of the wage award, completion of the Sokoto State University Staff quarters, promotion arrears, underfunding of universities and deepening socio-economic crisis which has worsened the security situation in the country.”
The duo said nothing was being done to properly fund universities to be able to address the shortage of lecture rooms and theatres, inadequate hostel and offices.
The union also faulted refusal of government officials to obey the presidential directive to remove universities from the IPPIS platform.
“To be our chagrin, universities are still being paid through IPPIS platform which ASUU has consistently rejected because it erodes the autonomy of our universities. We are also worried that some elements inside and outside government may be planning to undermine the government’s directive in view of the ambiguity that currently surrounds the transition out of IPPIS.
“It is also sad that government has consistently deprived our members of their promotion arrears, particularly those on the professional cadre from 2018 to 2024. Also, in the aftermath of the 2022 struggle, the government claimed to have budgeted N170 billion which, of which N120 billion, to our understanding, was to address part of the outstanding Needs Assessment Intervention Fund, while the balance would go into an paying one of the agreed tranches of the EAA. Sadly, the government has not released any fund to the universities based on the understanding.
“Hitherto, ASUU remains resolute on its patriotic mission to reposition the university system in particular and educational system in general for a transformed nation.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has supported the Federal Government’s Girls in ICT empowerment initiative by hosting 185 students on an industry excursion.
NCC Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
She said the tour was designed to inspire digital skills development and encourage future careers in technology.
The initiative was championed by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The programme aims to equip young Nigerians, particularly girls, with digital knowledge and relevant technology skills.
Ukoha said participants were selected by the ministry from across the country’s geopolitical zones.
She said the students were chosen for a competition promoting digital inclusion and greater participation of girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
According to her, some participants were also drawn from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
“The visit to the Commission formed part of activities organised by the Ministry under the National Girls in ICT Programme.
“It is an initiative aimed at bridging the gender gap in technology through digital skills, mentorship opportunities and exposure to innovation,” she said.
Ukoha said participants learned about developments in telecommunications from 1886, when colonial authorities established communication facilities for administrative purposes.
She said the students were also introduced to the history of telegraph services linking Lagos with West Africa and Europe through submarine cables.
According to her, the tour highlighted the telecommunications landscape at Independence in 1960.
She said Nigeria then had only 18,724 telephone lines serving an estimated population of about 40 million people.
“The students were also briefed on post-Independence development plans and the operations of the former Department of Posts and Telecommunications.
“They also learned about Nigerian External Telecommunications Ltd. and the establishment of NITEL in 1985,” she said.
Ukoha said NITEL was created to coordinate internal and external telecommunications services across the country.
She noted that a major attraction during the visit was the display of historical artefacts preserved at the NCC Museum.
Among the exhibits were a Post Office Counter and Sorting Racks introduced in Lagos in 1852.
Other artefacts included the Grand ‘T’ Key used in the nineteenth century Lagos Post Office.
The collection also featured leather mail bags from 1863 and Drop Bag fittings from the late twentieth century.
Students viewed a 511A Letter Scale, an Improved Dynamometer Scale, telegram machines and the Teleprinter T100.
Additional exhibits included a Cordless PBX system, Digital Card Phone and other communications equipment.
Speaking during the tour, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, said the initiative aligned with the Commission’s digital literacy objectives.
Represented by Director of Research and Development, Babagana Digima, Maida said the museum linked past and present generations.
He said the experience would help young people appreciate the sector’s transformation from analogue systems to the digital age.
According to him, understanding telecommunications history would inspire participants to contribute to future innovation.
Maida said exposing young people to technological advancement was essential for developing leaders for Nigeria’s digital economy.
“The whole idea is to engage the younger generation and show them what communication is all about.
“This museum preserves the history of communications and showcases the evolution from postal services to telegraphy and digital technology.
“We want to spark the curiosity of young people and help them understand how far the sector has progressed.
“When they see the past and the present, they can imagine the future and contribute to shaping it,” he said.
During the tour, NCC officials guided participants through exhibits documenting key milestones in Nigeria’s telecommunications history.
The students also explored the evolution of the communications sector and its contribution to national development.
Israel has launched airstrikes on Iran in retaliation for waves of missiles fired at its northern regions on Sunday.
The development marked a day of renewed violence in the Middle East after a fragile ceasefire.
Iranian state television reports that the sound of explosions was heard in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran.
The strikes occurred after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, said it had targeted the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel with ballistic missile fire on the evening of June 7.
The IRGC claimed that Israel used air-launched ballistic missiles in its attack on Monday morning.
The Israel Defense Forces, IDF, said it identified missiles fired from Iran toward northern Israel and defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.
“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran,” the Israeli military stated.
Ex- President Goodluck Jonathan has criticized what he described as a growing culture among some government institutions of dismissing public concerns by directing aggrieved citizens to seek redress in court.
Speaking at a recent public event, Jonathan expressed concern over what he called declining standards in public institutions and the increasing tendency of officials to rely on the judiciary whenever allegations of wrongdoing are raised against them.
The former president cited an East African proverb to illustrate his point, saying, “If a thief tells you to go to court, he knows that his brother is the judge.”
According to Jonathan, the saying reflects public perceptions that some individuals who engage in wrongdoing may have confidence in receiving favorable outcomes through compromised systems.
“We see government institutions doing the wrong thing and telling people to go to court,” Jonathan said. “There is this saying in East Africa that if a thief tells you to go to court, he knows that his brother is the judge.”
His remarks come amid ongoing debates over accountability, transparency, and public trust in government institutions, with critics frequently raising concerns about the handling of political and administrative disputes through the judicial process.
NCC hosts 185 girls on ICT industrial excursion
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