Education

We won’t make gunpoint negotiations with ASUU, says FG

Published

3 years ago

March 14, 2022

ASUU, FG in a meeting

THE Federal Ministry of Education has said it will not enter into agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities under duress.

The ministry called on ASUU to call off its strike “so that we will not have gunpoint negotiations and make promises that we will not be able to fulfil.”

The ministry’s spokesman, Ben Goong, made this known in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.

Our correspondent also gathered that the National Executive Council of the union, which is currently meeting at the University of Abuja, would announce the final decision on whether to proceed with an indefinite strike or suspend the current industrial action today (Monday).

The National President, ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that the NEC was indeed meeting, but refused to make further comments.

“The NEC is meeting and details will be communicated,” the ASUU president simply said.

However, a high ranking source in the NEC told our correspondent that the union would have no choice but to go on full blown strike as the government had failed to do anything tangible to meet its demands.

“The government has not done any tangible thing since the announcement of the warning strike. As much as we are not happy about going on strike, I am afraid to say that we have no choice this time. However, the final decision lies with the NEC,” the source said.

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However, Goong stated, “The government has done something tangible. Even The PUNCH has been reporting some of the things that the government did to avert this strike. If I were ASUU, I would call off the strike and that is what we are telling ASUU to do. Call off the strike so that nobody will be negotiating out of duress. If you continue the strike, we will have agreements at gunpoint with you.

“If they stay on the strike, in a desperate attempt to make sure that the universities are re-opened, we will make agreements under duress. We are not in a state of war that you must be on strike before you negotiate. You say it is a warning strike and the government has begun the implementation of agreements, it is only normal that you call off your strike, but it is as if they have that mindset of a strike.”

Meanwhile, fresh crises have risen following the declaration by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, created by ASUU in lieu of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System for the payment of university lecturers, has failed an integrity test.

ASUU, in a statement on Sunday, accused Inuwa of deliberately misinforming the public and invited the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as well as the NITDA boss to a public debate over the integrity of UTAS.

The statement by Osodeke, read in part, “The one-month roll-over strike by our union on February 14, 2022, has entered its fourth week. During this period, we have been having engagements with the government over the contending issues that necessitated the action. One of the contending issues is the deployment of the UTAS, which is a robust software created by the ASUU technical group to manage personnel and payroll in the university system.

“The Federal Government had referred UTAS to NITDA to conduct user acceptance test and vulnerability test assessment and penetration test prior to the final deployment. The process, which commenced on Thursday, March 3, is still ongoing.

“This press statement is necessitated by the need for ASUU to put the records straight on the grounds already covered in our patriotic struggle to get the government to deploy UTAS as a suitable solution for salary payment.

“Of special concern is the statement credited to both the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and the Director-General of NITDA to the effect that UTAS had failed the integrity test. Let us put it on record that an integrity test was carried out by NITDA on August 10, 2021, in the NUC, where relevant government agencies and all the end-users in the university system were present.”

“At the end of the exercise, all without exception expressed satisfaction with UTAS. This was attested to the effect that UTAS scored 85 per cent in the User Acceptance Test.”

PUNCH

Related Topics:ASUU Featured FG gunpoint

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Education

Two ex-VCs, JAMB registrar to attend Prof. Ibraheem UNILAG inaugural lecture Wed

Published

6 days ago

December 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Two ex-VCs, JAMB registrar to attend Prof. Ibraheem UNILAG historic inaugural lecture Wed

History beckons as Mass Comm alumnus delivers inaugural lecture Wed

History will be made this week Wednesday December 18, 2024 at University of Lagos when an alumnus of the university’s Mass Communication Department, Ismail Adegboyega Ibrahim, professor of journalism and communication studies, will deliver inaugural lecture as a lecturer of the department.

Ibraheem, a 1990 graduate of the university, returned to the institution in 2011 as a lecturer.

It is the first time a former student of the department will be delivering an inaugural lecture 58 years after its establishment.

Ibraheem, director of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects at the UNILAG, will speak on “Casino Journalism and the End of History.”

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, will chair the event, according to a statement from the institution.

Two former vice-chancellors of the university, Professor Rahamon Bello and Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, are expected to grace the lecture along with the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, among others.

The lecture is scheduled for 4pm at the J.F. Ade. Ajayi Auditorium, UNILAG, Akoka.

Members of the University Community and general public are invited to join the lecture physically or virtually via Zoom Meeting ID:862 1255 2361.

Education

Austria offers scholarship grant for int’l postgraduate, research students

Published

1 week ago

December 12, 2024

Trends Admin

Austria offers scholarship grant for int’l postgraduate, research students

The Republic of Austria is offering an opportunity for international postgraduate students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers through the Ernst Mach Scholarship 2025.

Managed by OeAD-GmbH, Austria’s agency for education, this scholarship aims to support talented individuals in advancing their academic and research careers in Austria.

Details of the scholarship program

According to OeAD, the Ernst Mach Scholarship is open to students and researchers from various academic disciplines. This includes areas such as;

Natural sciences
Technical sciences
Human medicine
Health Sciences
Agricultural sciences
Social sciences
Humanities, and arts.

The scholarship provides funding for semester or one-year grants, with research grants lasting from one to nine months, making it accessible to a broad range of applicants.

Benefits of the Ernst Mach scholarship

The scholarship offers numerous benefits to successful applicants.

Recipients will receive a monthly stipend of €1,300 for the duration of their stay in Austria.
Accommodation assistance is available, with affordable housing options ranging from €330 to €800 per month.
OeAD will also provide administrative support to help applicants find suitable housing.

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Grant holders will receive guidance on obtaining health insurance accepted in Austria, with a cost ranging from €55 to €200 per month. The scholarship also waives tuition fees at public universities, further reducing the financial burden on participants.

A travel subsidy of up to €1,200 is available for applicants from eligible developing countries, with travel invoices required for reimbursement. Moreover, recipients will have the opportunity to build valuable connections with top researchers and institutions in Austria, which can significantly enhance their academic and professional networks.

Eligibility criteria for applicants

The Ernst Mach Scholarship is open to early-career academics who are passionate about advancing their research. To be eligible, applicants must be;

Postgraduate students pursuing a PhD outside Austria or postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers looking to conduct research in Austria.
Additionally, postdocs employed at universities outside Austria are also eligible to apply.
Applicants must be 35 years old or younger (born on or after October 1st, 1989) and should not have lived, studied, or worked in Austria for more than six months prior to applying.
Proficiency in English or German is required to ensure effective communication during the research process.

How to apply for the Ernst Mach Scholarship

To apply for the Ernst Mach Scholarship 2025, interested individuals must visit the official OeAD-GmbH website.

The application deadline is February 1st, 2025. Applicants should ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements and submit all required documents before the deadline.

Austria offers scholarship grant for int’l postgraduate, research students

Education

LASU workers declare indefinite strike over salary

Published

2 weeks ago

December 10, 2024

Trends Admin

Lagos State University (LASU)

LASU workers declare indefinite strike over salary

The joint action committee of the academic and non-academic staff of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, on Monday, declared an indefinite strike.

Their demands from the Lagos state government – their employer – include an increase in salary and addressing salary disparities between LASU and other universities in the state.

It also includes payment of 20 percent salary increase as promised by the governor during his election campaign.

Others include payment of 20 per cent and 35 per cent agreement reached between the federal government and university workers.

The unions involved include the LASU chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Also involved are the LASU Chapters of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

Justice Obafemi, the chairman, NASU-LASU, said that the genesis of the industrial action was the promised 20 per cent salary increase made by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos during his electioneering campaign.

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Mr Obafemi said that after the election, the governor only paid the civil servants at Alausa Secretariat, neglecting the staff of the tertiary institutions.

“They used us, and in spite of our active contributions and efforts we made during the election, they have not fulfilled their promise.

“There is also a disparity in payment of salaries between LASU and the other two state-owned tertiary institutions.

“Even before Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), and Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) transmuted to universities, their staff were earning more than LASU staff,” the NASU chairman said.

Mr Obafemi added that when the administration came on board as new leaders, the unions wrote to the state government to look into the disparities.

“Also, the 20 per cent and 35 per cent agreement reached between the federal government and university workers.

“We set up a committee to look into it and sent all our requests to the government to harmonise salaries of all the academic institutions in the state.

“We had several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Tertiary Education and Ministry of Establishment and Training.

“Also, the LASU management tried to step into the matter. The vice-chancellor has pleaded several times, but we cannot continue to sacrifice the welfare of our union members,” Mr Obafemi said.

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Ibrahim Bakare, chairman of ASUU-LASU, said that the unions were more interested in peace, adding that the action was an agitation for staff welfare.

Mr Bakare said that all unions in the institution decided to come together and collaborate to get to where they are today.

“We are being civil and not disrespecting the Senate of the university. We will remain calm for the government to address our demands and call us for a meeting,” he said.

Seyi Lawal, chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU-LASU, said that it had discussed and given the government several ultimatums to address and meet its demands.

Mr Lawal said that the government had been playing games with them, so the unions decided to take action by calling for an indefinite strike.

“We have not even gotten to the stage of payment of minimum wage; we want the government to address these demands first,” he said.

Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile, coordinator, centre for information and public relations, LASU, said in a statement that the institution’s Senate had declared a Christmas and New Year break for the students and staff.

She said that the break started today till Jan. 5, 2025, adding that all university activities, including lectures and socio-academic events, would resume on Jan. 6, 2025.

“All students residing in the university’s hostels across all campuses (Ojo, LASUCOM, Epe and Badagry) are required to vacate the hostels within 48 hours.

“The university management appreciates the support and dedication of staff and students throughout the year and wishes everyone a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year,” Mr Thomas-Onashile said.