News

ASUU Serves Final Notice, Threatens Strike at Expiration of 14 Days Ultimatum

Published

2 months ago

October 2, 2024

Eric

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vowed to down tools after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued the Federal government to meet its demands.

Briefing journalists, in Calabar, the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Calabar zone, Comrade Happiness Uduk, who read a joint statement by all chairpersons of the zone, warned that the Federal government should be held responsible for the breakdown of industrial harmony, which might arise from its indifference towards their plight.

“Our Union will withdraw services, and should not be held responsible for the breakdown in industrial harmony which will arise as a result of the government’s insensitivity, insincerity, indifference and time-buying tactics.

“The Union calls on those in authority as well as their agents to seize this window to forestall the looming crisis.

“With a feeling of indignation, we regret to bore you with the cry of anger, frustration and unfulfilled promises that have tirelessly bedeviled our struggle and have been front-burnt for several years.

“The Calabar zone of ASUU has called this Press conference because of development or the lack of it, as regards our engagements with the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“As you are aware, in a letter dated 20th August 2024, the Union gave the government a 21-day ultimatum for the resolution of all the issues in contention since 2009.

“We categorically want to inform you that nothing tangible has changed safely for meetings and more meetings for which government agents were more concerned with receiving allowances for convening such meetings from tax-payers money, and the funds that our government claims it does not have.

“We are compelled, therefore, to address you, gentlemen of the Press on the latest development or otherwise because of the inevitable and impending industrial action to press home our demands.

“As men of the fourth (estate of) realm, to escalate the issues for those concerned to improve the already fragile industrial harmony in our tertiary institutions and save the education system from total collapse or risk yet another industrial action.

“Recall that in an open letter to the Federal government, our Union in a bid to ensure that this legacy struggle is achieved for the good of Nigerians and Nigeria, had mentioned ten (10) issues in contention including the conclusion of the re-negotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement based on the draft agreement by the Nimi Briggs committee in 2021, which is already out of date given the reality of the current Dollar/Naira ratio amongst others.

“The failure of governments to implement contents of several Memoranda of Understanding and Action between 2013 and 2022 has particularly hampered access to wholesome industrial harmony in public Universities especially as renegotiation has lingered for over seven years spanning the Babalakin-led team through Jubrin Munzali’s team and Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs’ committee.

“The last two concluded renegotiation but the government has not owned the said document nor implemented its contents. Since the inception of this government, all efforts to get them to adopt and implement the said agreement have been frustrated.

“With the current economic realities, even the wage award and palliative cannot replace the renegotiated agreement which was reached following the time-tried and honoured principle of collective bargaining.

“Presently, it is difficult for any University worker to tell his/her exact salary as it fluctuates every month while third-party deductions are withheld or released haphazardly with impunity and amputations.

“It is obvious this government is not interested in resolving lingering issues with our Union that is why like previous governments, its engagements with us are characterized by bottlenecks of bureaucracy, time-buying, documentation denial, lack of budgetary provisions rather compounding and complicating the already unpleasant relationship.

“Given current realities in the dysfunctional relationship between Federal government and ASUU, the Union resolved to give the government 14 more days ultimatum to the earlier 21 days beginning from Monday, 23rd September 2024 within which all issues must have been addressed to the satisfaction of our poorly-treated members.

“We hereby encourage members that though the road is rough, victory is assured because there is no going back,” the union concluded.

News

Ex-Polaris Bank Chief Remanded in Prison Custody for Alleged Fraud

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Eric

The Special Offences Court sitting in the Ikeja area of Lagos State, on Monday, remanded a former branch manager of Polaris Bank, Abiodun Sanni, at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre for alleged multi-million naira fraud.

Sanni was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 16-count charge bordering on obtaining credit by false pretences, forgery, use of false documents, and stealing.

The EFCC counsel, Orhieoghene Adewunmi, told the court that Sanni committed the offences at the Iju branch of the bank in Lagos on February 24, 2020.

The lawyer stated that the defendant, as the branch manager of Polaris Bank, obtained from the bank a credit sum of N17 million in form of a loan.

He said Sanni collected the loan on the pretext that the loan had collateral in the form of a fixed deposit worth N111.1 million, which belonged to one Yinkus Multi-biz Ventures.

The EFCC lawyer also alleged that the former bank manager dishonestly converted a Polaris Bank fixed deposit account worth N15.1 million, belonging to one Joshua Atolagbe, to his personal use.

According to Adewunmi, the alleged offences contravene Sections 36(1), 278(1), 313(1)(a), 361 (1) and 364 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Sanni, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts preferred against him.

Adewunmi urged the court to remand the defendant.

“My lord the prosecution intends to call 10 witnesses in this case. We urge the court to remand the defendant in custody in view of his not-guilty plea,” the EFCC lawyer said.

The defence counsel, Osho Oludoshu, told the court that he had filed a bail application.

The presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, thereafter, remanded Sanni at the custodial centre.

Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case to March 6, 2025, for the commencement of trial.

News

INEC Declares APC’s Aiyedatiwa Winner of Ondo Guber Election

Published

4 days ago

November 17, 2024

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the just concluded Ondo State governorship election, held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

The Returning Officer for the election Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State declared Aiyedatiwa winner of the election on Sunday, extending the governor’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure.

Governor Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag. He scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than the APC candidate.

“That Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the returning officer said at exactly 2:30 pm at the INEC collation centre in Akure.

The declaration came hours after the collation of results for the election began in the early hours of Sunday. Although the collation centre went on breaks, the APC took a commanding lead with over 200,000 votes ahead of the PDP.

The final results showed that the APC won the election in a landslide, clearing all 18 local government areas.

News

PDP Chieftain Sues IGP Egbetokun over Police Invasion of Home

Published

5 days ago

November 16, 2024

Eric

A former National Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Diran Odeyemi has filed a fundamental rights suit against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Also joined in the suit is the Osun State Commissioner of Police.

The suit dated November 7, 2024, was filed before a Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State capital.

In an affidavit in support of originating summons, Odeyemi accused armed agents of the defendants of invading his residence at Ibadan on October 26, without prior notice.

The plaintiff said the invasion of his residence and attempt to unlawfully arrest him was part of plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to silence leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State.

Odeyemi alleged that the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje on 20th of October, 2024, declared in Akure, Ondo State capital that the party had a secret strategy to recapture Osun State for APC, adding that what played out at his residence was part of the broader plans of the APC.

The plaintiff asked the court to determine where the attempt and threat by the defendants and their agents to arrest him on wilful investigation of some stalwarts of the APC do not constitute an infringement of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, expression and association.

The ground of the originating summons includes, “The plaintiff by virtue of sections 35, 39, 40, 41 and 46 under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights is entitled to enjoy his rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom of association.

‘The Plaintiff, being a citizen of Nigeria, has the right to move freely without any inhibition, express his thoughts, associate freely, and enjoy his dignity without being harassed, intimidated,d, or hindered in any way or manner.

“The Defendants and their officers are rigorously attempting to violate the plaintiff’s fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement freedom of expression, and freedom of association by threatening and planning to intimidate, harass, molest, and unlawfully arrest and detain him on wilful instigation of some politicians within the All Progressives Congress who are hellbent on framing the Plaintiff in order to silence him, as part of the All Progressives Congress secret strategy to recapture Osun State and wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party in the State., come 2026.

“The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress boastfully stated in Akure on the 20th October 2024 that the APC had a secret strategy to recapture Osun State from the Peoples Democratic Party but that he would not reveal the secret and his threatening statement was widely reported in the media.

“In what appears like the commencement of the secret political machinations, the agents of the Defendants, at the instance of some APC politicians and without having ever invited the Plaintiff, invaded the Plaintiff’s home on the 26th day of October 2024 in an attempt to unlawfully arrest, detain, harass and intimidate the Plaintiff but they failed because the Plaintiff was not in the country”