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ASUU will continue strike, but is it ethical?
And then ASUU informs that it would not suspend its strike despite the payment of salaries hitherto withheld by the federal government.
ASUU insists that the federal government is not doing it any favour as its members were entitled to the salaries in the first place.
In fact, it now claims the “strike is not just about IPPIS.” ASUU had always claimed its strike was intent on voicing out the many ills in the education sector and rightly so. Until IPPIS happened.
Let’s answer for some unaccounted variables. The 2020 ASUU strike was all about IPPIS, as opposed to what the association said.
Anyone with half their eyes open could see what was apparent. Complaint about the inability of the government to stick to the memorandum of understanding agreed upon in 2009 was conspicuously a little detail pushed out to put the association’s grumbling in good light.
ASUU’s ill-feeling towards IPPIS is summarized in two words: University autonomy. Their contention is that IPPIS infringes on the independence of the university.
But a look at things suggest that the university was hardly ever autonomous. And if it was, can it be autonomous of whoever sponsors it? Any such thing as university autonomy will only thrive in a self-sufficient model. Most federal universities can’t survive without government’s funding.
And there is the recent grumbling that the federal government asked to revalidate the Bank Verification Number of lecturers.
ASUU questioned the sudden change because “members weren’t paid with BVN in the past.” One is confused. What exactly does ASUU want? I say “pick your struggle!”
ASUU would then instruct its members not to submit their BVN. What exactly is wrong in paying through a scheme that promotes transparency? Or what exactly is ASUU’s argument? The association seems to be shooting its position in the leg lately.
This may provoke a change in dynamics as the masses, even more students, begin to reckon with ASUU as a conglomerate of greedy lecturers. Maybe true, maybe not.
Speaking of change in dynamics, the pandemic threatens to tilt the balance of power to the federal government.
There is the question of whether it is thoughtful of ASUU to persist with the strike beyond the pandemic, knowing fully well the impact of the pandemic on the country’s mental state.
There is also a call for rationality. It is laughable that ASUU expects the government to keep to an MoU when its major stream of income has plummeted by more than 50%.
A barrel of oil no longer sells for the budgeted $57. At the genesis of the strike, it was already foretold that oil would drop to $37 in the second quarter —a depressing prediction for Nigeria’s surviving economy.
A barrel of oil went as low as under $20 few weeks back and there are no signs to suggest that it would appreciate to $57 before the year ends.
It is about time we coloured the sketches. This government is no saint either—that much needs be said. The figures directed to the unreasonable establishment of “tatashe” universities in 2018 could easily have been used to raise the standards of existing federal universities, and more importantly, pacify ASUU’s grumblings.
The government also happen to prioritise inconsequential projects like renovation of the senate complex. Not to mention, the insane figures pocketed by government officials.
When two elephants fight, the grass suffers. The government and ASUU are playing delay tactics and politics with innocent students’ future.
The calendar has been disjointed by the pandemic. Students can’t absorb any further damage from an association that claims to be committed to their interest.
ASUU will continue its strike, but is it ethical? Is it right to speak with a tone that suggest it is unwilling to agree to any compromise?
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday discharged Miss Comfort Emmason of charges bordering on unruly behaviour and assaulting the flight crew aboard an Ibom Air aircraft from Uyo to Lagos on Monday.
Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami struck out the five-count charge against Emmason after the police prosecution team withdrew the case.
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At the resumed hearing, prosecutor Oluwabunmi Adeitan informed the court of new developments that necessitated the withdrawal.
She tendered an application to the court for the withdrawal of the case, which was admitted by the court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Monday grilled a former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal over suspicious cash withdrawals of N189billion.
Tambuwal, who was in the custody of the anti-graft agency in Abuja, was expected to account for the questionable cash haul during his tenure.
The Ex-Governor, who arrived the EFCC’s Headquarters around 11:30am, was still facing interrogators on the alleged financial crime at press time.
It was unclear if the Ex-Governor will be detained overnight or not.
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A source in EFCC said: “He is being held over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals to the tune of N189billion.
“The withdrawals are in flagrant violation of the Money Laundering( Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“We have isolated all the allegations for Tambuwal, it is left to him to respond. “
EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, declined comments on the matter
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)’s staff against engaging in corrupt practices.
Mrs Ekere Usiere, ICPC Anti-Corruption Commissioner in charge of Rivers and Bayelsa state offices, gave the warning in a statement issued by NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on Friday.
According to the statement, Usiere spoke during the quarterly anti-corruption sensitisation workshop for NDDC staff and further warned that anybody caught in act would face the full wrath of law.
She acknowledged the critical role of the NDDC in the development of the Niger Delta region and stressed the importance of holding periodic meetings to sensitise staff against corrupt practices.
“NDDC staff must distance themselves from corruption, as anybody caught will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” she stated.
Usiere explained that regular anti-corrupt workshops would enable NDDC employees to understand the impact of corruption on development and how to prevent it.
“This workshop themed, “Infractions/Offences in Anti-Graft Laws; Preventive Measures,” serves as an antidote to corrupt practices,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Evans Peters, Head of Legal Department at ICPC in Rivers, urged the commission to strengthen its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit to enhance its effectiveness.
He further advised the NDDC to implement a system for continuous review of corruption-prone processes and procedures, and to develop a code of ethics that would include corruption prevention guidelines for staff.
According to Peters, it is an offence for an individual to inflate contracts, award contracts without budgetary provision, and frustrate investigations.
“In addition, any staff who make false statements and returns, fail to report bribery activities, and conspire to provide false information, or engage in similar acts will be prosecuted.
“Every public servant should take the ICPC Act as a Bible and internalise its tenets, as ICPC frowns heavily on gratification,” he said
Peters further warned that proceeds from crime, or anything beyond a worker’s legitimate income, remained subject to seizure by the government, with the offender still liable to prosecution.
“Anyone caught in corrupt practices could be sent to jail. The law does not condone ignorance,” he added.
Earlier, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, emphasised the importance of adopting measures to tackle corruption and entrench transparency in public service.
Represented by Dr James Fole, NDDC’s Director III of Administration and Human Resources, Ogbuku stated that the workshop formed part of a broader strategy to enhance service delivery in the commission.
“We are passionate about service delivery; hence, we organised this workshop to educate our staff on the need to avoid corrupt acts.
“We want our staff to work with diligence and uprightness while carrying out their duties,” he advised.
Ogbuku noted that the NDDC Board and Management would spare no effort to ensure that ethics and values would be firmly entrenched in the commission.
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