News
Splinter ASUU group asks VCs to reopen varsities
A splinter group from striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), known as Congress of Universities Academics (CONUA), has said its members are ready to resume academic activities.
It has therefore asked vice chancellors of various public universities to recall students to campus for work to begin in earnest.
Addressing journalists in FUOYE on Sunday, Dr Henry Oripeloye, who led CONUA members from various universities, said that apart from members of the body, there are lecturers who do not belong to any union and were willing to teach.
He said, “We reject in strong terms, claims that we are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); we are independent union on university campuses.
“We commend the National Universities Commission (NUC) for directing the opening of Universities nationwide.
“We want our universities to be reopened so that they will not be left behind in the scheme of things.”
Oripeloye, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), lle-lfe, stressed the belief of the union in constructive and objective engagement with the government rather than strike.
According to him, the union members have enrolled in the IPPIS and their concerns are being addressed by the government.
He said, “We don’t know anything about UTAS; we believe in fruitful interaction and possibly with government and also lobbying to achieve our requests from the government.”
Oripeloye, however, said that CONUA had no conflict with ASUU, stressing that the two unions only differed in terms of philosophy and ideology.
Meanwhile, CONUA FUOYE branch has given the Akure Zonal ASUU 14 days’ ultimatum to either retract or prove the allegation that it has secret pact within the management of the institution.
The Convener of CONUA, Mr Ayodeji Ige, said that the union’s counsel had been directed to write the Zonal ASUU leadership to substantiate its claims or be ready for a court action.
News
Judicial Reform: NBA seeks removal of CJN as head of NJC
Judicial Reform: NBA seeks removal of CJN as head of NJC
The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has faulted the composition of the National Judicial Council, NJC, which is the body responsible for disciplining erring judicial officers in the country.
NBA, which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country faulted the current system that made it mandatory that the Council must be headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.
According to the NBA, “The inherent flaws in the composition of the NJC impact negatively on its ability to prosecute judicial misconduct in a manner that inspires public confidence.”
Consequently, the NBA recommended that “members of the NJC should be appointed as follows: six judicial officers appointed by CJN; six lawyers nominated by the National Executive Council of the NBA including the NBA President and six non lawyers appointed by the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, subject to the approval of the Senate.
“The Chairmanship of these bodies should be rotated between the heads of the three constituent groups.”
Besides, the NBA recommended the appointment of court administrators to take over the administrative functions if the various Heads of court such as procurement, budgeting, renovation of courts and implementation of judicial appropriations.
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“These are activities within court administration that have severally been identified by the anti-corruption bodies as areas prone to corrupt activities.
“This proposal for the creation of this office takes cognizance of the role of the Chief Registrars of courts who will under the proposed arrangements enable them (together with heads of courts) concentrate solely on the business of adjudication especially case management without distraction.”
It further demanded the de-linking of judicial remuneration from that of the civil service, noting that there had always been an informal linkage between judicial salaries and that of senior civil servants and public officers.
“There is the need to de-link judicial remuneration from that of the civil/public service. De-linking judicial remuneration from that of the civil/public service would not only strengthen the perception of judicial independence, but would also provide the necessary safeguard and reassurance to judicial officers,” it added.
The recommendations were contained in proposals the NBA submitted at the just concluded national summit on justice sector reforms.
News
Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chair over contempt
Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chair over contempt
A Kogi State high court has ordered Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, to appear before it on May 13 to show why he should not be convicted for allegedly disobeying its order.
The presiding judge, Isa Jamil Abdullahi, gave the order on Friday while ruling in a suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and motion No: HCL/190M/2024, filed by former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello.
Bello on February 8, Bello instituted a suit asking the court to restrain the commission from arresting him.
The court granted the injunction restraining the EFCC on February 9.
But the EFCC on March 12 filed an appeal against the order.
However, the commission has filed a notice to withdraw the appeal.
In the notice filed on April 22, the anti-graft agency said the withdrawal was predicated on the fact that events had overtaken the appeal.
The commission also admitted that the appeal was filed out of the time allowed by law.
Bello approached the court again, praying for an order to invite the EFCC chairman and slammed with a contempt of court allegation.
The judge granted Bello’s prayers and ordered Olukoyede to appear before the court to answer the contempt charge.
“The applicant’s application before me is to the effect that the respondent has carried out some acts upon which they have been restrained by this court on February 9, pending the determination of the substantive motion on notice before this court,” the judge held.
“That the said act was carried out by the respondent in violation of the order which was valid and subsisting when they carried out those acts. That same act of the respondent amounts to an act of contempt.
“It’s against the above facts that this court hereby grants the prayers sought in line with the principle of ‘Audi Ultra Patem’ (listen to the other side).
“This matter is adjourned to May 13 for the respondent’s chairman to appear before this court in answer to form 49 ordered to be served on him.”
News
Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut
Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut
Members of the organised labour, on Friday, protested and shut down the headquarters of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over alleged cut of workers’ salaries in the agency by the management of the fund.
The aggrieved protesters, led by the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo and executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), started their demonstrations at about 11:00am.
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Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters alleged that the management led by Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of the Fund, had made deductions of consequential taxes from their salaries to the tune of N2.1bn which were not remitted.
Addressing the protesters, Osifo said the protest and subsequent shutdown of the Fund became imperative after efforts made by the leadership of ASSBIFE to resolve the issue amicably with the management failed.
The protesters urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the MD of the agency with immediate effect to avert “looming crises” in the Fund and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe their claims.
Both the MD of the Fund, Mrs Allagoa and spokesman of the Fund, Mr Godson Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.
Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut
Why Yahaya Bello does not represent the youth – Farooq Kperogi
Judicial Reform: NBA seeks removal of CJN as head of NJC
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