Striking ASUU members shouldn’t be paid – Education minister – Newstrends
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Striking ASUU members shouldn’t be paid – Education minister

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Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba

The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has said it doesn’t make sense for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to continue to earn salaries while on strike.

The PUNCH reports that ASUU began one month warning strike on February 14, 2022 and since then has not suspended its industrial action.

Speaking to The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Sunday, Nwajiuba said, “The lecturers have continued to earn salaries while on strike; it doesn’t make sense to earn salaries when you have refused to work.

“If you refuse to even pay them, by the time they call off the strike, they will still come back to fight for the payment of the period they refused to work.

“You can air your grievances, come to the negotiation table without refusing to work. The issue of the strike has become a thing of concern. I have four children; two have graduated while the other two are still in public universities. I feel for them, I feel for other students who are at home. I feel the same way other parents feel, but can I bring money from my house and give it to ASUU?

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“The Ministry of Education isn’t the employer of the lecturers, we are a supervisory body, and there is no way we can fire or hire someone. Universities have governing councils that supervise the activities that go on, our job as in the ministry is to supervise, we can’t meddle in.

“On the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, I am also paid via the IPPIS, it is owned by the government, there is no way you can tell the government to throw away its platform and pay you with another platform.”

Meanwhile, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Mohammed Ibrahim, has accused the Federal Government of focusing on frivolous things and neglecting the education sector and the youths.

Speaking during the 2022 May Day celebration in Abuja on Sunday, Ibrahim said the universities were forced to shut down due to government insincerity, adding that the standard of education had continued to go down.

He stated, “Our universities have been forced to shut down due to the insincerity of the government to keep to its promises. The standard of education continues to go down due to the insensitivity of the government and the inability to provide a good teaching, learning and work environment through lack of basic facilities that will make them compete favourably with their peers in other parts of the world.

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“The morale of university workers is dampened by the poor pay package and the government appears to be paying lip service to education. It is very clear that government pays more attention to frivolous things and has neglected youths that are said to be the leaders of tomorrow.’’

The SSANU President lamented the condition of Nigerian workers whom he said were going through perilous times in form of insecurity, economic hardship and other challenges.

He noted, “This year’s Workers Day comes when Nigerian workers are passing through perilous and dangerous times. Nigerian workers and indeed members of our great union are confronted with diverse challenges like rising spate of armed banditry, kidnappings, insurgency, economic hardship and worst of all, the inability of the government to keep to agreements it entered into with all the university-based unions in 2009.

“Our members have been denied payment of new Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment arrears and backlog of earned allowances in addition to other violations of our rights and privileges.  Our universities have been forced to shut down due to the insincerity of the government to keep to its promises.”

He admonished the government to resolve the ongoing strike by university workers and also tackle the challenges facing the country.

“Toying with the future of our children will spell doom for our dear country. I call on the government to look into the demands of all the university-based unions and take urgent steps to address them so that our children will go back to school,’’ the union urged.

Education

NASU, SSANU end strike, direct members to resume work Monday

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NASU, SSANU end strike, direct members to resume work Monday

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have ended their one-week warning strike.

They have therefore directed their members to resume work on Monday March 25.

The leadership of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) also directed its members to resume duty Monday.

The union however gave the federal government two weeks to pay the withheld salaries.

President of NAAT, Ibeji Nwokoma, said his association had suspended the warning strike and would be meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Education on Wednesday afternoon.

The Reps Committee had invited the three university – based unions that went on strike alongside the Minister of Education in order to find an amicable resolution of the issues that led to the strike.

In a circular to its branch chairmen, the JAC of SSANU and NASU, directed members in the universities and Inter-University centers to resume duty on Monday.

The circular, titled: “Re: 7-Days Warning Strike”, was signed by Prince Peters Adeyemi, NASU General Secretary and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU President.

It read in part, “The leadership of National Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) acknowledge and commend the courage, tenacity. commitment and resoluteness of members of the two Unions in effectively prosecuting the 7-day warning strike action across the branches.

“After evaluating the 7-day warning strike that commenced on Monday, 18th March, 2024, the JAC confirmed that the tempo of the warning strike has been massive, comprehensive and total in most of our Universities and Inter-University Centres.

“It therefore salutes the dedication, resoluteness and loyalty of members to the cause of the Union’s struggle for the payment of 4 months’ withheld salaries. We are proud of your concerted efforts.

“Consequently, you are hereby informed that the 7-day warning strike shall end at midnight of Sunday, 24th March, 2024 and normal work will resume on Monday, 25th March, 2024.

“While assuring you that the struggle for the payment of the four months’ withheld salaries is ongoing, further issues such as Renegotiation of Year 2009 FGN/NASU and SSANU Agreements, Payment of N50 Billion Earned Allowances and others will continue to receive the same attention.

“Therefore, JAC leadership will continue meaningful engagement with the relevant government agencies in both executive and legislative arms and you will be duly notified of the next line of action(s) to be taken.”

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BREAKING: WAEC releases results of first CB-WASSCE

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BREAKING: WAEC releases results of first CB-WASSCE

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has released the results of the first-ever Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB- WASSCE) for Private Candidates, 2024–First Series.

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The examination was held between Wednesday, January 31, and Saturday, February 17, 2024.

A total of 8,139 candidates sat the examination at 140 CBT centres nationwide.

BREAKING: WAEC releases results of first CB-WASSCE

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WAEC blacklists Abia schools over malpractice

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WAEC blacklists Abia schools over malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has barred some secondary schools in Abia State from participating in the regional body’s examination over involvement in examination malpractice.

Commissioner for Education Prof. Uche Eme Uche, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Umuahia, the state capital, said that the state had just been informed by WAEC about the development.

Although she didn’t disclose the affected schools, the commissioner noted that most of the schools affected were private schools.

The Commissioner, who frowned at any act capable of tarnishing the image of the state, said the operational licences of the affected schools would be withdrawn as a deterrent to others.

She explained that the state supported the action by WAEC as it would help halt the lowering of academic standards in schools by some dubious operators.

 Uche said the state had previously shut down some of the affected schools due to their unwholesome practices,but they  continued to cut corners.

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Speaking earlier, Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said  the state governor, Dr Alex Otti had approved the immediate renovation of 170 primary and 51 public secondary schools across the state.

He said 10 primary and three secondary schools would be selected from each of the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.

The renovation, according to him, is to give a facelift to public schools in the state and make them conducive and attractive for learning.

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