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ASUU rejects N35,000 wage award, insists on negotiated salary for members
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted on negotiating the salary of its members with the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, thereby, rejecting the N35,000 wage award.
ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this in Ibadan on Thursday at the inauguration of the secretariat of the University of Ibadan (UI) branch of ASUU.
Osodeke stated that the union had agreed that whatever was legally sent to members’ accounts should be spent but not to be taken as the negotiated salary.
“We told them we should negotiate our wage, but they said we are giving you an award of N35,000; we have told them that it is not our own.
“We are still insisting that there has to be negotiated salary,” he said.
He identified the renegotiation of the existing agreement, payment of withheld salaries, earned academic allowance and release of the Needs Assessment Funds as some of the pending issues with the Federal Government.
While commending the UI ASUU branch for the edifice it built using the expertise of its members, Osodeke decried the use of external or foreign consultants to handle projects in the country.
He said the government should rather hire experts within the country, especially from within Nigerian universities as consultants.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, UI, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership, Prof. Yemisi Bamgbose, had commended the union.
Adebowale said the secretariat would serve as a hub of intellectual discussion, collaboration and solidarity among the union members “as it continues to strive for a better future for our universities and our nation.”
The UI ASUU Chairman, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, said the secretariat was built without donations from external people or bodies.
He commended members of the union who gave in cash and kind to see to its completion.
Ibom Focus reports that the inauguration had a session, titled, “Challenging NeoLiberal Narrative in Nigeria’s Education Sector: ASUU’s 2022 Strike and Matters Arising”.
Speaking on the theme, Akinwole, said the impact of neoliberalism on education was complex and multifaceted.
He noted that the lecture was appropriate “at this period in our nation’s march toward self-reliance and independence in the right sense of the word.
“Expectedly, the lecture beams light on the way forward in continued relevance for scholars and all concerned leaders of the progressive movement in Nigeria.”
A Professor of Botany, Odoje Biodiversity Centre, Ogbomoso, Prof. Omotoye Olorode, spoke on the foundationality of the neoliberal narrative as expressed in the Nigerian ruling class response to ASUU’s strike.
He said, “ASUU’s struggles arise out of the necessity to build a country in which every citizen shall be free, educated, well fed and healthy.
“We cannot abandon these struggles and yet be worthy of being called ‘intellectuals’.
“This is where we stand. This is where we ought to stand.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has disclaimed a purported recruitment announcement for the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), warning the public against falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
In a statement released on its official X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening, the oil company clarified that no separate recruitment process was ongoing for PHRC beyond the one initiated in 2024.
The statement, titled “NNPC Ltd Disclaims Purported Recruitment Announcement for PHRC,” was signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye.
“The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has urged members of the public to discountenance purported recruitment announcement for the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) circulating in certain online platforms,” the statement read.
NNPC Ltd further explained that its recruitment process, which commenced last year, covered all its subsidiaries, including PHRC. The company noted that candidates who passed the Computer-Based Aptitude Test were proceeding to the interview stage.
“The purported recruitment link being circulated in various online platforms is the handiwork of fraudsters who are keen on taking advantage of the newly revamped Port Harcourt Refinery to fleece unsuspecting members of the public with a phantom recruitment announcement. We, therefore, call on members of the public to be wary of the ploy and not fall for it,” the statement warned.
The Adamawa State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Commission has disbursed N61,080 to each of the 2023 pilgrims from the state over poor services rendered to them by the service providers while in Saudi Arabia.
The executive secretary of the pilgrims commission, Malam Abubakar Salihu, disbursed the refunded money, saying it was a step of accountability.
The disbursement was paid into the account of the pilgrims or, for those without account numbers, through the local government schedule officers of the 21 local governments of the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Shuaibu Musa Mele appreciated the commission for ensuring that each pilgrim gets his rightful refund.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had earlier refunded money through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, for sharing among the 36 states of the country.
A school building in Fakai village, reportedly used as a food storage facility by the notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, has been destroyed.
The facility, which had been stocked with large quantities of food supplies, was completely razed, leaving the structure in ruins.
According to local sources, the school was repurposed by the bandits to support their operations in the region.
It served as a key logistical hub for storing essential supplies, ensuring the group’s ability to sustain its activities over time.
The destruction of the stockpile is seen as a major setback for Bello Turji’s network. By eliminating a critical resource hub, the operation is expected to disrupt the group’s supply chain and hinder their ability to operate effectively in the area.
Counter-terrorism expert Zagazola Makama reported that the incident underscores ongoing efforts to counter the influence and operations of bandit groups in the region.
Residents of Fakai village and surrounding areas hope this effort signals further strides toward restoring peace and security.
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