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We can’t afford N110bn ASUU demand for varsities – FG

- Again ASUU-FG meeting ends in deadlock
Contrary to the impression given by the government that an end to the prolonged strike by university lecturers was at sight, a meeting held to resolve all lingering issues on Wednesday ended in a deadlock.
Specifically, the meeting attended by representatives of the Federal Government and those of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, was over the poor funding of Universities and the controversy surrounding the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System payment platform.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, told journalists after the meeting that the government could not meet the N110bn demand of ASUU for university revitalisation because of the damaging effects of COVID-19 on the economy.
According to him, the Federal Government has offered the union N20bn for revitalisation and N30bn for Earned Academic Allowances, making a total of N50bn as a show of its commitment towards ending the strike.
He said, “There are three issues. revitalization fund where government offered ASUU N20bn as a sign of good faith based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) they entered into in 2013 as a result of the renegotiation they had with government in 2009. This present government is still committed to it. That is why we are giving them offers of some fund.”
He also said, “This government is not against revitalization but this government says that because of dire economic situation and COVID-19, we cannot really pay the N110bn which they are demanding for revitalization.
“We offered N20bn as revitalization fund. On Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), the government offered N30bn to all the unions in the universities, making it N50bn all together.
“ASUU is saying that the N30bn should be for lecturers alone, irrespective of the fact that there are three other unions. So there is a little problem there. We don’t have any money to offer apart from this N30bn.
“Again, another cardinal issue is the University Transperancy and Accountability Solution (UTAS) versus IPPIS. Today ASUU submitted their document on UTAS for onward submission to National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). As you know last week, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy had approved that NITDA gets their system (UTAS) and subject it to integrity test. This test should be conducted without fear or favour and as early as possible. So today they have submitted the document for onward transmission to NITDA.”
Ngige explained that the transition period and how to disburse the Earned Academic Allowances and other entitlements remained unresolved as ASUU wanted an exemption from the IPPIS whereas the government team led by the Accountant General of the Federation insisted on the IPPIS, being the only government approved payment platform.
He said, “So that is where we are for now. So we are all going back to our principals and they will receive via me the irreducible minimum of what federal government has to offer.”
The two teams agreed to reconvene on Friday November 6.
News
Reps panel: Ibadan, Warri, Lagoon among 31 proposed new states

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review says it has received proposals for the creation of 31 additional states to the existing 36 in Nigeria.
Chairman of the committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, made this announcement on Thursday during plenary while reading a letter from the committee’s clerk.
According to Kalu, the proposed states have six in the North Central, four in the North East, five in the North West, five in the South East, four in the South-South, and seven in the South West.
He listed the states being considered as Okun, Okura, and Confluence states from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa states from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; and Muri from Taraba.
Others are New Kaduna and Gujarat states from Kaduna; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba from the South East; Ogoja from Cross River; Warri from Delta; Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo; Ibadan from Oyo; Lagoon from Lagos; Ijebu from Ogun; and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states.
The committee outlined the criteria required to initiate the state creation process, stating, “An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.
“The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly. Local Government Advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.”
News
Kenya Airways apologises to Nigeria for mistreating passenger

Kenya Airways apologises to Nigeria for mistreating passenger
Kenya Airways has apologised to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the mistreatment of Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore and for issuing a misleading statement on the incident.
The apology came after the airline’s management and NCAA representatives met Tuesday in Abuja.
Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, revealed this in a post on his official X handle.
“Their team has apologised for the obfuscation of facts in their earlier statement. They also admitted that, phone call or not, it was the airline’s fault for failing to identify the issue before airlifting the passenger from Lagos,” Achimugu stated.
He pointed out that his job was to enforce the civil aviation authority’s rules while safeguarding all parties involved in aviation, including travellers and airlines.
According to Achimugu, he had insisted that Kenya Airways apologise publicly to the NCAA and the passenger. Since then, the airline has issued a revised statement that accurately depicts what actually happened in Nairobi.
James Nganga, the country manager for Kenya Airways; Eric Mukira, the station manager; and Ezenwa Ehumadu, the duty manager, were in attendance.
Before her journey, Omisore reportedly checked with Kenya Airways to see if she could travel on the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route incoming and the Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester route outbound, according to the NCAA.
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According to reports, she disclosed to the airline that she was a Nigerian who lacked a Schengen visa but had a British residency status. She was assured of her eligibility in spite of this.
“Based on this information, she purchased the ticket and successfully flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without incident,” Achimugu explained.
However, the airline failed to obtain a transit permit for the Paris leg and boarded her from Lagos on her return trip. Only in Nairobi was the oversight found.
After a 17-hour layover, Kenya Airways offered her a direct ticket to London at no additional cost, but she had to wait an extra 10 hours.
“Exhausted and unwell, the passenger requested accommodation and care, citing the airline’s error. When this was denied, an argument ensued between her and the airline staff,” Achimugu added.
Condemning Kenya Airlines over the incident, the NCAA said, ““I expressed deep disappointment over the unruly behaviour of the airline’s staff, particularly the disparaging remarks about the Nigerian government, insinuating that nothing would be done regardless of how Nigerians were treated,” Achimugu stated.
He said that, contrary to what the airline had previously stated, Omisore did not decline to take the other flight.
Her annoyance instead arose from the extended wait and the refusal of basic care, even after the airline acknowledged its mistakes.
Kenya Airways has been ordered to refund and compensate Omisore for the “avoidable humiliation and distress” she endured, which also threatened her job security.
Although the airline initially requested 72 hours to respond, the NCAA granted only 48 hours, stating, “Truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released.”
Kenya Airways apologises to Nigeria for mistreating passenger
News
Afe Babalola seeks increase in doctors’ salaries

Afe Babalola seeks increase in doctors’ salaries
Aare Afe Babalola, the founder and chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has called on the government to increase the salaries of medical doctors and ensure prompt payment, attributing poor remuneration to their emigration from Nigeria.
Babalola made this call on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti during the 7th induction and oath-taking ceremony of the 2024 graduating medical students of the institution.
The elder statesman bemoaned the poor remuneration paid to doctors in Nigeria, describing it as ridiculous and paltry.
His words, “The reason many Nigerian doctors and nurses leave this country immediately after completing their training is because the emoluments paid in naira are much less than what cleaners in hospitals overseas earn.
“Worse still, doctors in many states and government hospitals have not been paid for many months. I appeal to the government to increase the salaries of doctors and ensure prompt payment”.
The legal luminary also criticised the federal government for limiting TETFund beneficiaries to only public universities and not including private universities.
Babalola stated that a quality-driven private university, such as ABUAD, should not be denied access to the TETFund, and that this would also assist self-funded universities in providing higher-quality teaching, research, and community service.
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“I am not asking that the money should be given to private universities to develop structures but the functions of a university properly so-called according to the World Bank are quality teaching, research, and community service.
“It is common knowledge that our university is leading in community service and research into the use of African herbs for the production of herbal drugs. The question then is, why should the government deny private universities access to TETFund for research?” he added
Inducting the graduating medical students, the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Professor Fatima Kyari, praised Afe Babalola for establishing quality facilities in the university to effectively equip the students.
The registrar expressed confidence in the transformative momentum aimed at upgrading the country’s healthcare sector, saying that the federal ministry of health is capable of improving the quality of the healthcare system.
Professor Kyari encouraged the entrants to roll up their sleeves and get back to work, emphasising that their contribution to mankind is essential in a country like Nigeria.
The guest lecturer, Professor IkeOluwapo Ajayi, exhorted the inductees to harness the core skills learnt at ABUAD to achieve in their jobs.
Ajayi also pushed them to use their high-quality university knowledge to achieve a competitive advantage in the medical field.
Meanwhile, 23 medical graduate students achieved distinctions, including Oluwatosin Motajo (7 distinctions), Bumiyo Ojogbane (5), and Benedict Orina (5), with all twenty-three exceptional students receiving N100,000 apiece.
Afe Babalola seeks increase in doctors’ salaries
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