Education

FG, ASUU resume talks Monday, students continue protests

Published

3 years ago

May 11, 2022

Students of the University of Ilorin on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to express their disappointment over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, vowing that they would not have anything to do with the 2023 general election if the government allowed the strike to linger.

This was just as students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, staged a similar protest on the strike in front of The PUNCH Place on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

The PUNCH had reported how ASUU, on Monday, extended its rollover strike by 12 weeks to provide enough time for the Federal Government to attend to its demands.

UNILORIN students, during the protest, said they planned to take their protest to major places like the Government House, roads linking Ilorin Airport, state House of Assembly, Federal Secretariat, police headquarters, and the Department of State Services, among other places, if the meeting between ASUU and the Federal Government did not resolve the lingering crisis this week.

The protesting students lamented their continued stay at home due to the strike and called on the Federal Government to meet ASUU’s demands to enable them to complete their academic activities.

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Speaking with journalists, the Students Union President, Taofik Waliu, said the protest was aimed at creating awareness among stakeholders and members of the public.

Waliu said, “We want to graduate. The Federal Government should meet ASUU’s demands. We don’t plan to move around town today. We hope that soon, the ASUU strike will be a thing of the past whereby about-to-be graduates can graduate and 300 Level students can move up, and so on.

“However, if nothing fruitful comes out after the Federal Government’s meeting with ASUU this week, we will move en masse continuously with other students of 10 educational institutions in the state to block roads to various places in the state capital to register our displeasure over the lingering strike.

“This is just to send a message to the government that we are tired and they should meet ASUU’s demands.”

The state chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Salman Yisa, called on state governors to intervene, adding that the issue is beyond the Federal Government.

OAU students, who stormed the entrance of The PUNCH, said they did so because they believed their grievances would be publicised.

The President of the OAU Student Union Government, Olayiwola Folarin, in an interview with one of our correspondents, described their action as a warning, adding that they have plans to hit the streets if nothing was done soonest.

The union’s Welfare Officer, Dada Arafat, said, “We are in solidarity with ASUU, appealing for the reopening of schools and provision of funds meant for laboratories and structures.”

The union’s Clerk, Odetunde Dickson, added that students were tired of constant industrial action.

OAU orders students to vacate halls of residence

The management of OAU, however, on Tuesday directed all students to vacate their halls of residence.

A statement signed by the Dean, Division of Student Affairs, Prof. I.O. Aransi, dated May 10, 2022, said students must comply with the directive not later than Friday, May 13.

According to him, the directive was a sequel to the latest development on the ongoing strike embarked upon by all the staff unions in the nation’s federal universities.

The statement read in part, “To this end, all undergraduate and postgraduate students in the halls of residence are directed to vacate their respective hostels and go home till further notice.

“It is our hope that issues necessitating the strike action will be resolved as soon as possible.”

Government meets ASUU May 16

Meanwhile, ASUU may meet with the government side on May 16.

The Chairman of the Federal University of Technology, Minna chapter of ASUU, and member of the union’s National Executive Council, Dr. Gbolahan Bolarin, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.

Bolarin said, “I am aware there will be a meeting coming up next week from May 16 with the government, but we are not aware of any invitation from the Minister of Labour and Employment. Holding a meeting is not the issue, the most important thing is the implementation.

“They will call us for meetings and then say the government does not have the money. When aviation declared strike, they settled it because they are mostly affected. Once our leaders are not affected, they do not care. When bad fuel was imported, they did not really care. Our leaders are not sincere, the day the government becomes sincere, issues will be settled.

“We have given them 12 weeks and we hope that they will resolve the issues within this window. This is something they can resolve within a day if they are serious.”.

Related Topics:ASUU Featured FG Monday protests students

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Education

NANS demands student representation on NELFUND board

Published

23 hours ago

February 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr

NANS demands student representation on NELFUND board

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly protested its exclusion from the board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

In the letter dated February 13, 2025, and titled ‘Final Demand for Student Representation in the Scheduled NELFUND Board’ addressed to the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and the Board Chairman, Jim Ovia, described the exclusion as “completely unacceptable.”

NANS President, Lucky Emonefe, insisted on the immediate inclusion of a student representative in the board meeting, warning of severe consequences if their demand was ignored.

Emonefe likened the exclusion of students from the NELFUND board to “shaving a man’s head in his absence.”

According to Emonefe, the exclusion of students from a board managing their loan fund is unjust and disregards the primary stakeholders in the education sector.

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“We are writing to express our deep concern and outright discontent over the exclusion of students from the scheduled board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,” Emonefe stated.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as the apex student body representing over 50 million students across the country, will not stand idly by while critical decisions affecting our future are made in our absence,” Emonefe stated.

He emphasized that students are the direct beneficiaries of the fund and should have a say in how it is administered.

“As the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of NELFUND, it is completely unacceptable that students are sidelined from deliberations that shape the administration and disbursement of student loans.

“This fund was created for Nigerian students, and we will have a voice in how it is managed,” he stated.

Emonefe made it clear that NANS was not making a mere request but a firm demand, vowing to disrupt the board meeting if students were not included.

“We are demanding, not requesting, the immediate inclusion of a student representative in this board meeting.

“Failure to accommodate this legitimate and reasonable demand will result in the total shutdown of the meeting venue by Nigerian students,” he said.

He further stated that NANS would mobilize its members to ensure that no meeting takes place unless student representation is secured.

NANS demands student representation on NELFUND board

Education

Poly students oppose conversion of YABATECH to varsity

Published

2 days ago

February 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech)

Poly students oppose conversion of YABATECH to varsity

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has rejected the proposed conversion of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, into a university, arguing that the move would undermine the essence of polytechnic education.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced on Friday that President Bola Tinubu had approved the conversion of YABATECH into a university. During a visit to the institution, Alausa highlighted that YABATECH, with over 200 doctorate-holding staff, was well-equipped for the transition.

However, NAPS President, Eshiofune Oghayan, in a statement released in Kaduna on Saturday, criticised the decision, emphasising that converting polytechnics into universities would erode their core mission of providing hands-on, industrial-based training.

“We reject the proposed conversion of YABATECH into a university. Polytechnic institutions like YABATECH play a crucial role in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and industrial application. They emphasise hands-on experience, problem-solving, and innovation, which are essential for Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic diversification,” Oghayan stated.

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He stressed that rather than eliminating polytechnics, the government should fully implement the Higher National Diploma (HND) to Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) transition. According to NAPS, this would grant polytechnic graduates internationally recognised degrees, enhancing their competitiveness in the global job market.

Oghayan also pointed to global best practices, noting that developed nations like Germany, China, Canada and the UK have thriving technical education sectors that drive industrial growth.

As an alternative, NAPS proposed the elevation of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) into a Polytechnic Education Commission. The statement said this would strengthen polytechnic education by ensuring better funding, policy implementation and clear career progression pathways for graduates.

The association urged the Federal Government to engage stakeholders in a comprehensive reform plan to enhance technical education. It also appealed to President Tinubu to reconsider the YABATECH conversion, advocating for modernisation instead of elimination.

“We will not fold our arms and watch as the government undermines the future of polytechnic education in Nigeria. We will mobilize our members to resist this move and ensure that the government prioritizes the development of polytechnic education,” Oghayan warned.

Poly students oppose conversion of YABATECH to varsity

Education

NECO blacklists 14 exam centres for cheating

Published

2 days ago

February 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Students writing NECO Examination

NECO blacklists 14 exam centres for cheating

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has sanctioned 14 examination centres for engaging in malpractice across nine subjects in the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (External).

NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, made this known during a press briefing at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, while announcing the results of the examination.

Wushishi revealed that 10 of the blacklisted centres were in Ogun State, while the remaining four were in Oyo State.

According to Wushishi, the names of the affected centres and supervisors will be forwarded to other examination bodies for further action.

“The number of candidates booked for various forms of malpractice is 6,169, compared to 8,518 in 2023, representing a 27.7 per cent decrease.

“Seven supervisors—two each from Oyo and Ogun, and one each from Lagos, Cross River, and Ebonyi—were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, lateness, and aiding and abetting malpractice during the examination.

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“Fourteen centres — 10 in Ogun and four in Oyo — were blacklisted for whole-centre malpractice across nine subjects.

“The Federal Ministry of Education has mandated that the names of these centres and supervisors involved in malpractice be sent to sister examination bodies, including JAMB and WAEC,” Wushishi said.

A total of 86,067 candidates registered for the examination, comprising 44,988 males and 41,079 females. Out of this number, 84,799 candidates sat for the exams.

“62,929 candidates, representing 75.62 per cent, sat for English Language and scored credit and above, while 77,988 candidates, representing 93.94 per cent, obtained five credits and above in Mathematics.

“The number of candidates who secured five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, is 57,114, representing 63.35 per cent.

“Meanwhile, 70,711 candidates, representing 83.39 per cent, obtained five credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics,” Wushishi added.