Education
ASUU: FG may pay CONUA members salary arrears, demands lecturers’ details


The Federal Government may soon pay some university lecturers the eight-month salary arrears owed them for the period the Academic Staff of the Universities (ASUU) went on a nationwide strike over welfare package and poor university infrastructure.
This indication emerged as the Federal Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, has requested the details of members of the Congress of University Academics for payment of withheld salaries.
CONUA, which had pulled out of ASUU, claimed its members were not part of the industrial action, and threatened to sue the FG for withholding the salaries of its members.
The Punch in a report on Sunday quoted an FG circular dated January 13 as a response to a letter by CONUA that the union should send details of its members to the AGF office, apparently to guide the government in preparing the salary arrears.
The letter, signed on behalf of the AGF by the Director, Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, Charles Wali, addressed to the CONUA President, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, stated, “I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter on the above subject matter dated November 2, 2022 in respect of payment of your withheld backlog of salaries and to request you to provide soft copy of membership of CONUA across universities to enable payment as requested.
“Meanwhile, you may wish to forward the following details to facilitate seamless deduction and remittance of check-off dues: Evidence of registration; official account details of the union; membership list of the union, signed by each member; percentage of deduction (check-off dues)/amount to be deducted from each member; mode of remittance between the headquarters and local chapters.”
It also said the details should include individual IPPIS numbers for ease of identification.
The PUNCH reports that upon the suspension of ASUU’s eight-month strike, the FG had paid the lecturers on pro-rata basis, as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, maintained that the government could not pay for a job not done.
The action had angered ASUU and its members across the universities protested against it, with a vow to consider “appropriate options” to fight it.
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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