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We won’t return to class with empty stomach – ASUU
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it will not return to class with empty stomach as its members have not been paid for their salaries for a period ranging between four months and nine months.
The Coordinator, ASUU Calabar Zone, Comrade Aniekan Brown, told journalists in Calabar on Monday that “We are still in the trenches. And we will not return to the classes with empty stomach.”
He also said insisted that the Federal Government should adopt its University Transparency and Accountability Solution UTAS as the option against government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The Calabar zone covers seven universities within four states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Ebonyi.
ASUU also argues that the Federal government payment system IPPIS, which is made compulsory to university workers, including ASUU members is against the law of the land that granted autonomy to universities.
Besides, “the IPPIS is not temper-proof as presented, adding to the fact that it has national security risk being that the server is hosted from outside the country by an American company.”
He described the IPPIS as uncongenial with the modus operandi of the university system, given the peculiarities of universities.
“Kindly note that our Union has been rejecting the IPPIS since 2013; government challenged us to produce an alternative to IPPIS. The union took up the challenge, and has produced one. This is called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS. Presentations have been made to the appreciation of some quarters.
“The union has been ready for the final stage presentation to NITDA. Sadly, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGoF) is of the position that our members migrate first (during the intervening period) after which if UTAS is approved, we would be re-migrated to UTAS. We argue that it is a case of economic waste,” he explained.
He debunked the figures pandered in some quarters by the government that over 50,000 members of ASUU have voluntarily joined the IPPIS platform in obedience to the Federal Government directive as against about 14,000 yet to comply.
His words: “That is just a divisive and blackmail tactics. We don’t have such number of academic staff members in the country even if you put together both federal and state universities. May be they are counting other unions’ members within the university.”
He further insisted that “the university system is peculiar in its modus-operandi. The mode of employment, retirement age, sabbatical leave, adjunct engagements, part-time engagements, contract engagements, etc. are concepts that are unique to the university, and obviously alien to IPPIS.
“The OAGF has told a lot lies about addressing these peculiarities. Unfortunately, our Union had a number of meetings with the OAGF and, for all that the meetings are worth, they were opportunities to convince ASUU that the IPPIS is capable of addressing the concerns of our union. This did not happen!”
ASUU has complained that the Federal Government has continued to pay deaf ears to the revitalization of Public Universities and as it concerns the proliferation and funding of State Universities.
The union is also saying that Visitors to State Universities should stand up to their responsibilities and that state governments should not establish universities they cannot fund. Visitation Panels to universities have not been done in the last ten (10) years.
He said, “We seek the cooperation and understanding of the good people of Nigeria, and the general public on ASUU’s stance on the afore-stated outstanding issues and the IPPIS.
“ASUU has courted for itself an enviable pedigree of integrity, credibility and accountability. Our members would not return to the classes with empty stomachs.”
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Tinubu’s economic reforms making Nigeria more investible — UK Envoy
Tinubu’s economic reforms making Nigeria more investible — UK Envoy
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, describing them as “big and bold” initiatives that have transformed Nigeria into a more attractive destination for investors.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Montgomery acknowledged that the UK’s interest in Nigeria is growing, citing the positive impact of recent economic policies.
“I’ve been very public previously about commending the big and bold economic reforms being taken by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Montgomery stated.
Highlighting key policy changes, he pointed to the abolition of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate system as crucial steps toward economic stability.
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According to him, these measures are already yielding results, positioning Nigeria as a more “investible” nation.
“My headline this morning is that these economic reforms are paying off, and they are now making Nigeria more investible,” he added.
Montgomery, however, acknowledged the economic strain on Nigerians due to rising inflation, currently hovering in the mid-20 percent range. He noted that while the reforms are transformative, their benefits might take time to materialize fully.
“I realise that some of these reforms for ordinary people are painful. Inflation is still high, it’s in the 20 percent territory, the mid-20s. And it’s going to take time to bring that rate down,” he remarked.
Despite the current economic challenges, the High Commissioner expressed optimism, predicting that inflation rates would begin to ease over the coming months and years, further solidifying Nigeria’s position as an attractive investment hub.
Tinubu’s economic reforms making Nigeria more investible — UK Envoy
News
Tinubu presents N1.78tn FCT budget to Senate, seeks speedy approval
Tinubu presents N1.78tn FCT budget to Senate, seeks speedy approval
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a proposed N1.783 trillion budget for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the Senate, seeking speedy approval for the 2025 fiscal year.
In a formal message to the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday, the President called for urgent consideration of the bill, emphasizing its importance in delivering a functional and responsive administration for FCT residents.
To expedite the legislative process, the Senate activated Order 78, which allowed the appropriation bill to pass its second reading on the same day it was introduced.
Despite the swift movement, the procedure was met with resistance. Senator Abdul Ningi, a member of the opposition, objected under Order 77 (3 and 4), arguing that lawmakers had not received copies of the bill before the discussion commenced.
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The Senate subsequently proceeded with a debate on the bill’s general principles.
Presenting the proposal, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele stated that the bill aims to permit the release of ₦1,783,823,708,392.00 from the FCT Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund. These funds are intended to cover personnel, overhead, and capital expenses from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
According to Bamidele, the budget allocates ₦150.35 billion for personnel expenses, ₦343.78 billion for overhead costs, and ₦1.29 trillion for capital development.
He stressed that the core goal of the budget is to sustain a results-driven administration with the continuation of existing projects in the FCT and the introduction of new ones deemed crucial.
Tinubu presents N1.78tn FCT budget to Senate, seeks speedy approval
News
Constitution: Reps reject proposal for rotational presidency
Constitution: Reps reject proposal for rotational presidency
The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted down a bill that proposed rotating the office of the president among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
During the session presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, lawmakers also rejected six additional constitutional amendment bills. All seven proposals failed to pass the crucial second reading stage.
Among the bills was one seeking to transfer the authority to register and regulate political parties from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to a newly proposed Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties. This legislation was sponsored by Hon. Abbas Tajudeen and Hon. Francis E. Waive.
Another notable bill—tabled by Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu—sought to institutionalize rotational leadership at the federal level, specifically between the six zones: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West.
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Also defeated was a proposal by Hon. Julius O. Ihonvbere aimed at establishing and empowering independent Offices of the Auditors-General at the local government level and in the Federal Capital Territory. According to the bill, the initiative was designed to enhance fiscal responsibility and governance at the grassroots.
Hon. Ihonvbere also fronted a bill advocating for the increase in the number of judges in the Federal High Court to a minimum of 100, a measure that did not survive the House vote.
In a related effort, lawmakers rejected a constitutional amendment expanding the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction to include admiralty matters such as shipping, inland waterways—including the River Niger and River Benue—and federal ports.
Additionally, the chamber turned down a bill granting the National Judicial Council (NJC) authority to determine and review, in collaboration with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the remuneration of judicial officers and judiciary staff.
Finally, a motion to create Ughelli East Local Government Area in Delta State, brought forward by Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, also failed to gain the necessary support.
Initially, all seven proposals were bundled and voted on as a group but were rejected outright. Subsequent efforts to conduct separate votes also failed, despite intervention from the House Committee on Rules and Business, which suggested revisiting the motions on Wednesday.
Constitution: Reps reject proposal for rotational presidency
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