Education
Abuja primary school teachers declare strike over salary arrears


Primary school teachers in Kuje Area Council, Abuja, have embarked on an indefinite strike over an alleged failure by the council to clear a backlog of salaries owed them and other welfare package.
The Chairman of the Kuje branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr Audu Lucky, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje on Tuesday.
Lucky said that the teachers in Kuje were no longer ready to be taken for granted until their demands were met by the Executive Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr Abdullahi Sabo.
He said, ”The union observed with dismay the non compliance by the Council Chairman to address the backlog of the Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers’ outstanding entitlements.”
Lucky added that the union had sent a letter to Sabo, with a reference number, NUT/169/5/138, dated 3/1/2023, while a letter of ultimatum dated 2/12/2022, was also sent to him.
He said, “In view of the above, the union leadership is calling on all LEA Primary schools teachers in Kuje Area council to proceed on an indefinite strike action with effect from Monday, 9th Jan, 2023, until further notice.
“LEA Kuje primary school teachers are hereby directed to comply with this directive, please.”
Lucky listed the demands to include: The payment of salaries to 2018 recruited teachers whose salaries were abruptly stopped by the council Chairman in September 2022; submission of the agreed template of payment of LEA teacher’s arrears to the JAAC Secretariat and continuation of the payment to Concerned teachers; payment of salary to 2022 reabsorbed teachers, who have been working through January to December 2022 without salary.”
According to Lucky, based on these demands, the branch and state organs of the union requested to meet with the Council Chairman but he refused to meet with them.
He affirmed that the union had directed all primary schools teachers in the area to stay away from their duty posts while parents were advised to keep their children and wards safe at home.
All efforts by NAN to get the comments of Sabo proved abortive as he did not return various telephone calls made to his line, just as he did not reply two SMS messages sent to him.
However, the Chairman of the FCT Universal Education Board, Dr Alhassan Sule said the board was doing everything humanly possible to amicably resolve the crisis.
Sule said, “And I was telling the chairman that he should not allow only his local government to experience such an unfortunate situation.
”We are on top of the situation and we will soon convene a meeting between the union, the Area Council and the board with a view to finding plausible solutions to the problem.
“Education is very crucial as it is the foundation of every development and the FCT is not handling it with kid gloves.
“Education is the foundation of everything in life. Keeping these children at home is very dangerous.”
Education
UNILORIN appoints Mansur Alfanla registrar


The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has named Mansur Adeleke Alfanla as its new registrar.
According to the university’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Kunle Akogun, the appointment was announced after its ratification by the governing council.
He said Alfanla would be taking over from Fola Olowoleni, the current registrar, in April 2023.
Alfanla, who is currently deputy registrar and secretary of the postgraduate school, will become the seventh registrar and secretary to the governing council of the university.
He joined the university as an administrative assistant during the tenure of Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem, the institution’s 6th vice chancellor in 1998.
He was made an administrative officer in 2001, an assistant registrar in 2005, and a senior assistant registrar in 2009.
In 2013, he became the university’s principal assistant registrar and was subsequently promoted to the rank of deputy registrar in 2016.
Alfanla was born in Ilorin on August 28, 1970.
He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Mass Communication at Bayero University, Kano in 1995.
In 1996, he completed his national youth service (NYSC) programme at Girls Commercial School, Nanka, Anambra state.
Alfanla also attended UNILORIN between 2006 and 2010 for his bachelor’s degree in Common Law.
Education
FG to improve welfare, allowances of corps members


The Federal Government is considering improving the welfare of corps members, including their raising the allowances.
Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, while speaking to newsmen after the inauguration of the NYSC@50 anniversary committee.
He said that the management of the NYSC had sent a proposal to improve on the uniform of the corps members and to increase their allowances.
Date said, “That is already with the President and if that gets the approval, even Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training would go beyond three weeks and will be through the entire youth service.
“So, those are areas that are covered and we believe that this committee will also make recommendations on reforms and improvement not just for the welfare, but also for the system of the NYSC that keeps that engine running.”
The minister said that the NYSC which was established on May 22, 1973, had made huge impact on the nation’s education and health sectors.
He added that the Federal Government recognises the roles of Nigerian youths, especially members of the NYSC in the nation’s social, economic and political development, hence the desire to celebrate the 50 years existence of the scheme.
“It is gratifying to note that the SAED programme of the scheme is stirring the interest of corps members for self-employment and wealth creation.
“The scheme must be celebrated for its remarkable achievements in the promotion of national unity and integration, development of education, healthcare delivery, as well as social and infrastructural development, through its primary assignment and community development services”.
“From a mere 2,300 youth corps members, we have grown to between 350,000 and 400,000 youth corps members annually, in the last 50 years.
“Overall, the scheme has been able to pass close to eight million corps members in our country and I think that is a measure of success.”
While inaugurating the 22-member inter-ministerial committee, he charged them to identify and articulate cogent landmarks achieved by the scheme in the last 50 years with a view to showcasing it to Nigerians.
The committee is also to propose programmes and activities to undertake to mark the 50th anniversary of the scheme and to carefully examine the operations of the scheme and recommend areas of improvement to sustain its relevance.
“It is also expected to call for entries from corps members for logo and mascot to commemorate the anniversary,” the minister said.
Dare said the committee should also advise management on necessary steps to take in achieving the establishment of NYSC schools and additional NYSC garment factory, and the full and immediate take-off of all newly-established NYSC ventures and SAED centres.
While charging members of the committee to work assiduously on its terms of reference, he assured them of government’s support.
The NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, said that the positive roles of successive batches of corps members in the credible conduct of elections in the country was worthy of commendation.
He also commended their participation in other programmes such as population census, immunisation exercise, HIV/AIDS prevention and care and fight against corona virus among others.
The chairman of the inaugurated committee, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, assured that the committee would deliver on the task given it and also meet up to the desired expectation.
Education
UNILAG announces new resumption date


The University of Lagos(UNILAG) has changed its resumption date following the postponement of the governorship/state assembly elections.
VIce Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Folashade Ohunsola, announced that the new resumption date would be March 21, after the governorship poll holding on March 18.
The university was initially expected to resume on March 14 after the institution closed on February 23 for presidential and National Assembly elections.
But after the postponement of the governorship poll from March 11 to March 18 by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), the university said the change in the resumption date became inevitable.
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