Education
JUST IN: Tinubu Orders Review Of Tertiary Institutions Boards After Public Outcry
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa.
President Bola Tinubu has directed a total and comprehensive review of the recently announced governing boards of tertiary institutions in Nigeria before the inauguration and retreat being planned for the nominees.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a State House statement titled ‘President Tinubu directs comprehensive review of governing boards of tertiary institutions.’
Onanuga said the nominations “did not reflect the federal character of the country as some states got just one nomination, while some others got many.”
Tinubu had approved the appointments of at least 555 persons to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
This followed his assent to a list of nominees selected by the Ministry of Education.
However, after public outcry, among which is the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Bauchi State, which advocated for the reinstatement of the earlier dissolved members, the President “in directing a complete review of the list of the members of the governing councils, acknowledges the feedback across the country
President Tinubu is committed to ensuring strict compliance with the principle of federal character as entrenched in the constitution. The review will also take into consideration national spread and ensure every part of the country is adequately represented.”
The inauguration and retreat for the nominees will take place on May 31, 2024.
On the list is a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who was also appointed as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Board of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Sokoto State. Members are Mary Yisa, R. O. Kazeem, Prof. Usman Musa and Dr. Anthony Usoro
Wole Olanipekun, SAN, was made the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Board of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State. Members are Prof. S. E. Ogbeide, Rufai Chanchangi, Mrs Glory Ekpo-Oho, and Patricia Yakubu, among others
Education
ASUU, FG postponed meeting till August 28
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By Ojomah Austin.
The proposed meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities initially scheduled for Monday (today), has been postponed.
Although no reason was given for the postponement, the meeting and us now expected to take place on Wednesday, August 28.
According to Channels Television on Monday, the ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that the meeting which was previously announced by the Minister of Education on Friday will no longer hold.
Public university lecturers, following resolutions reached at the union’s national executive council meeting held at the University of Ibadan on August 19, 2024, threatened to go on a nationwide strike over the Federal Government’s failure to honour the 2009 renegotiated agreement.
ASUU’s demands include improvements in welfare, university funding, and halting the proliferation of universities across the country.
Education
SAD: Wigwe University Registrar dies ‘mysteriously’ in Abuja
![](https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/images-2024-07-29T153712.364.jpeg)
By Francesca Hangeior.
The Registrar of Wigwe University, Ms. Ulonna Inyama, has died under mysterious circumstances in Abuja, sparking concerns about medical negligence and hospital safety.
According to a family source, Ms. Inyama died due to complications from fibroid surgery and a wrong blood transfusion.
The source revealed that she was initially admitted to a hospital in Abuja for fibroid treatment but suffered a fatal reaction after receiving the wrong blood type.
“She died of loss of blood due to fibroid complications under mysterious circumstances. We were told that wrong blood transfusion led to her death.
“When her condition worsened due to complications, she was referred to another hospital, where she passed on,” the source told Vanguard on Monday in Abuja.
The incident has raised questions about the quality of medical care and safety protocols in Nigerian hospitals. The family has demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Inyama’s death.
Ms. Inyama’s death comes just months after the tragic loss of Wigwe University’s founder, Herbert Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in California, USA, along with his wife and son.
The university community is still reeling from the loss of its founder and now faces another devastating blow with the loss of its Registrar.
Education
Stranded Nigerian scholars lament FG’s allowance cut, resort to loans
![](https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/images-2024-07-24T134830.604.jpeg)
By Francesca Hangeior.
Foreign scholars under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship, on Wednesday, lamented the sudden deduction in allowances by the Federal Scholarship Board.
Some of the affected scholars and parents who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja lamented the government’s decision.
The scholars noted that the government had failed to release their allowances for over 13 months, leaving them to source for their means of survival in foreign countries.
The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries.
The Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education had announced a slash in allowances for foreign scholars who are currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others.
The ministry attributed the development to economic crises.
The government’s decision to slash the scholars’ allowances was contained in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
“After due consultations, the Federal Scholarship Board has come up with adjustments in line with budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholar’s supplementation allowances for the 2024 academic year,” the memo, dated July 23, 2024, and addressed to the scholars’ association, read.
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the affected scholars, Ronald Donald, said “Firstly, students have stayed 13 months without stipends, just promises upon promises. Now, the only thing the FSB could come up with is to reduce the stipends. Let me give you an idea of how living in Russia and Morocco looks like;
“In Russia, a student needs a minimum of $300 to survive. The bus fares are expensive, and the hostel prices are up. Bread used to be sold for 70 rubbles is now 120 rubbles. In Morocco, the students don’t have hostels provided for them. As such, they rent apartments (at a starting price of $200 a month).”
Speaking on how some of the stranded scholars are surving, Donald said, “Normally, the embassy in Russia gives out loans to students in difficulty. They take the money back when FSB pays.”
Another student who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation noted that some of the students had taken loans to finance their studies.
He said, “We were under the agreement to be paid $500 per month and we have not been paid since June 2023 which has resulted in students engaging in exploitative illegal labour such as washing plates, and construction. I personally have worked in a soap warehouse and restaurant for 12 and 14 hours at a stretch respectively with reduced pay against the agreement and host country’s visa.
“A few months ago after several agitations and representations by our parents, our parents were encouraged by the FG to take loans to the tune of millions because of the exchange rate and the rising cost of living in our host counties to send to us for our survival with the promise that the situation will be sorted out and our stipends would be paid suddenly yesterday they released a memo slashing our stipends by 56%. How are we to pay back the loans or even survive ?”
Speaking further, the student revealed that some students took loans from loan sharks.
“Yes, several students took loans from even loan sharks because no one in this economy would loan millions to a student that doesn’t have a definite payback period or collateral,” he said.
Also speaking, a parent who spoke on condition of anonymity while giving the breakdown said, “Each student now gets $3090 (2640 + 450) instead of the $6450. It’s only the medical students who get an extra 500 to make theirs $3590.
“So (500×12)+ 250 + 200 + (500) = $6450 and $6950 (for non-medical and medical students respectively) slashed to (220×12)+ 250 + 200 + (500)= $3090 and $3590 (for non-medical and medical students respectively).
“Seeing that only supplementation was touched (others that concern us are still constant), that’s a 56% decrease.”
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