“…From the foregoing and as a law-abiding union that pledged to do things differently, we have resolved to seek legal redress of the illegal withholding of our legitimate salaries by taking the matter to court in consonance with the rights enshrined in our laws,” the union said.
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ASUU strike: CONUA threatens to sue FG over unpaid salaries
Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has voiced its displeasure with the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Labour and Employment, over the failure to pay the withheld salaries of its members.
The union said its members did not call for any industrial action and were not involved in the strike that shut down the university system nationwide for eight months.
It said it was wrong for the Federal Government to treat its members in the same manner as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who went on an eight-month strike between February and October 2022.
In the statement by its National President, Secretary, and Publicity Secretary, Drs. Niyi Sunmonu, Henry Oripeloye, and Ernest Nwoke, respectively, CONUA said when it noticed the development, it wrote to the Accountant-General of the Federation and Ministry of Labour and Employment reminding them that it was an error to lump its members with those that declared and embarked on industrial action.
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“It was yet another shock for the outstanding backlog of salaries not to have been paid to our members along with the November 2022 salary,” it said.
The union threatened to sue the Federal Government for withholding its members’ salaries.
“CONUA formally made its non-involvement in the strike known to the Federal Government in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in April 2022.
“In the letter, we made it clear that because CONUA constituted a separate and independent union in the university system, our members did not call for any strike. This was followed by a press conference in Abuja on August 19, 2022 at which it was categorically stated that CONUA was not part of any ongoing strike, and that the “no work no pay” principle ought not to apply to members of the union.
“CONUA’s expectation is that, due to the express and categorical declaration, the government would seamlessly release our members’ outstanding salaries when it resumed the payment of salaries to all university staff in October 2022. But to our dismay, CONUA members were also paid pro-rata salaries in complete disregard to the fact that we were indeed shut out of duties by the strike.
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Many killed, houses, vehicles destroyed in Delta petrol tanker explosion
Many killed, houses, vehicles destroyed in Delta petrol tanker explosion
Many people were feared dead as a petrol tanker exploded Sunday afternoon on a highway in Delta State.
The accident occurring on Asaba-Lagos Road in the Agbor Ika South Local Government Area caused huge damage to houses and vehicles trapped in the inferno.
The explosion was reported to have happened when the petrol tanker was navigating a turn near First Bank in Agbor and overturned.
Firemen from both Delta state and federal authorities were mobilised to the scene, according to the director of the state fire service, Eugene Oziwele.
Oziwele also confirmed that the casualties were high, adding firemen from Asaba joined those in Agbor with others from the Federal Fire Service to put out the raging fire.
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Farmer-herder crisis: Cooperative to establish ranches in 774 LGs
Farmer-herder crisis: Cooperative to establish ranches in 774 LGs
The National Agricultural Mechanisation Cooperative of Nigeria (NAMCON) has disclosed plans to establish cattle ranches in the 774 local governments across Nigeria.
According to the National President of the cooperative, NAMCON, Dr Aliyu Waziri, the move is part of sustained efforts to modernise livestock production in the country, bolster value-addition and address the persistent clashes between farmers and herders.
He spoke with journalists in Kaduna adding that the ranches would be provided with adequate animal feeds, mega dams and an array of features of world-class equipment, thereby ensuring herders and their livestock have no cause to migrate in search of water and food.
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He said the ranches would be adequately equipped with clinics, western and Islamic schools and other necessary infrastructure.
Waziri said, “These ranches will be fully equipped for both rainy and dry season farming activities for the sustained production of food as this is very crucial to boosting food security, jobs creation, poverty eradication and jerking off Nigeria’s foreign reserves.”
The ranches, he said, would also have plantations of various economic trees like mango, guava and cashew.
He said, “The gesture will also greatly help in combating the recurring herder-farmer clashes in the country.”
Waziri maintained that the goal of the cooperative was to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector through mechanization and empowerment programs.
He recalled that in November 2021, NAMCON empowered 15 million farmers, especially women and young people, on farm mechanisation.
He then urged the government to explore the agricultural sector’s hidden potential to address unemployment and food security.
Farmer-herder crisis: Cooperative to establish ranches in 774 LGs
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Again, Northern elders ask FG to suspend tax reform bills
Again, Northern elders ask FG to suspend tax reform bills
The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has again raised concerns over the Federal Government’s proposed Tax Reform Bills, urging immediate suspension of the implementation and calling for extensive dialogue with stakeholders.
The forum criticized the government for failing to engage critical stakeholders and experts before drafting the reforms.
NEF expressed its position in a statement on Saturday signed by its Chairman of Management Board, Al-Amin Daggash, highlighting the reforms’ potential adverse effects on Northern Nigeria and the nation as a whole.
Daggash said: “Once again, it is necessary to reiterate, that indeed, Nigerians in general and Northerners in particular, are not really against the introduction of any form of good and meaningful reforms by those in positions of authority, at the federal, state or local government levels.
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“Even though, we shall remain very implacable in reaffirming that, our practical experiences teach us, that, going by global best practices, successful reforms are known to be underpinned by strict adherence to certain common cardinal characteristics of the public policy-making process.
“For convenience of exposition, these similarities include, but, not limited to the under listed basic essentials: Extensive pre-reforms early engagements with experts and critical stakeholders, in order to secure their buy-in
“Establishing a very well-defined media/communication strategy, that clearly articulates the full import of the reforms and disseminates public awareness and mass enlightenment on a nationwide scale.
“Designing a robust, transparent and inclusive implementation mechanism. Pro-actively putting in place a well-sequenced process, in order to ensure that the meticulously planned reforms, really meet the society’s desired and anticipated outcomes.
“The Northern Elders’ Forum make bold to say that the recently proposed Tax Reform Bills by the Federal Government, were clearly in the breach, with regards to adhering to the above listed common characteristics of reforms and public policy-making process, all over the world and in conformity with the global best practices.”
Again, Northern elders ask FG to suspend tax reform bills
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