Education

FG, ASUU face-off: Minister walks out on NANS, as students protest

Published

3 years ago

March 1, 2022

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, yesterday in Abuja, walked out on students protesting the continued face-off between the government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, who have paralysed academic activities in the nation’s universities.

The students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, had taken their protest to the minister’s office, clutching placards demanding a quick resolution of the crisis.

After a few questions by the students, who were led by the NANS President, Comrade Sunday Asefon, the minister angrily left for his office.

Commenting on the development, Asefon said: ”We only asked the minister one or two questions about what the government is doing to resolve the impasse, when he angrily left us and went inside. ”We are surprised at the development because as students, we are the ones bearing the brunt of the strike. We are going to hold a meeting to deliberate on the next step to take and we will get back to you,” he said on phone.

In Oyo State, the B Zone of NANS, yesterday threatened to block all federal roads in the state, if the crisis was not resolved.

The students at a peaceful demonstration held at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, carried placards with different inscriptions such as: “FG and ASUU: Stop the madness”; “Incessant ASUU/FG face-off, a demonstration of craze”; “At the end of every strike, only students lose”; among others.

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The Southwest Coordinator of NANS, Comrade Tegbe Steven Fiyinfoluwa, who addressed newsmen after the protest, vowed that the association would block all federal roads, starting from today, if the government and ASUU failed to reach an agreement, yesterday.

He said: “We are holding our peaceful demonstration here today (yesterday) Monday, because of the lingering crisis between ASUU and federal government which has been a recurring event over the years. Unfortunately, we students are at the receiving end.

“We are calling on the federal government to learn how to respect agreements. We have seen on many occasions when the federal government and ASUU reached an agreement but the federal government failed to fulfil its part of the agreement. We are also calling on ASUU to have a decisive way of spending their resources, even when their demands are met.”

Protest in Kano

In Kano, the students, who stormed the Ministry of Higher Education situated in Gidan Murtala, also carried placards and chanted solidarity songs.

The students, led by Yazid Tanko Mohammed, said they were always at the receiving end of the face-off.

Mohammed said: “ASUU has been going on strike since 2009, and students are always the victims of the strike. We are not benefiting from the strike. Instead, we are always at the receiving end. Imagine, a programme that is supposed to last for four years will take up to six years. And the one meant for five years will take up to seven to eight years,” Mohammed lamented.

Responding, the Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Mariya Bunkure, who was represented by the Director, Academics Planning, Musa Gambo, assured the students that the Ministry would convey their message to Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for onward submission to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He appreciated the manner the students conducted themselves peacefully during the protest.

Protest in Osun

Some students in Osun State, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students and Joint Campus Committee, NANS/JCC, Osun axis, yesterday stormed the streets in the state capital, Osogbo, protesting the FG\ASUU debacle.

Addressing journalists at Oke-Fia, the Chairman, NANS/JCC, Osun Axis, Comrade Oyelayo Afeez, said the protest was to make ASUU and FG realise that their action was at the detriment of students, who paid to access education.

“We are demanding an end to the incessant dispute between ASUU and the FG, it affects students. We are paying to access education in Nigeria, yet, government and the union seem not bothered about our situation,” he said.

Meeting of the two parties

Meanwhile, another round of meeting by the two sides is slated for today in Abuja.

The government’s team is expected to include the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, and his Labour Ministry counterpart, Dr Chris Ngige, while the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, will lead the union’s team.

Their previous meeting did not achieve much, as the union accused the government’s delegation of not preparing for anything and acting as if they were not familiar with the issues in contention.

ASUU had been on strike since February 14 because of the failure of the FG to renegotiate the 2009 agreement, the replacement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS, as the payment platform in the university sector, among others.

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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.