The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: Education

  • Labour Minister Presents Certificates Of Registration To CONUA, NAMDA

    Labour Minister Presents Certificates Of Registration To CONUA, NAMDA

    The unions appealed to the government to pay their withheld salaries, saying their members were not on strike with ASUU last year.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has presented certificates of registration to the Congress Of University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association Of Medical And Dental Academics (NAMDA), two breakaway labour unions from the Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU).

    Speaking at the official presentation of certificates to the two unions in Abuja, the labour minister warned the unions against incessant industrial action and urged them to embrace dialogue whenever they have a misunderstanding with their employers.

    Ngige maintained that the Federal Government will continue to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy on any union that embarks on industrial action.

    The presentation of these certificates of registration to the leaders of CONUA and NAMDA by the labour minister signified the birth of two labour unions in Nigeria’s academic system.

    The two unions came into the limelight in October 2022 in the heat of an eight-month strike by ASUU.

    The minister urged the new unions to operate within the provisions of the labour laws.

    In their respective comments, the unions appealed to the government to pay their withheld salaries, saying their members were not on strike with ASUU last year.

    The Nigerian university system has suffered serious setbacks in recent times, owing to incessant industrial actions by academic and non-academic staff, a development that has severally disrupted the academic calendar.

    (Channels)

  • Sale of JAMB UTME forms begin today

    Sale of JAMB UTME forms begin today

    Barring any change in plan, the sale of forms for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will commence today.

    The UTME is an assessment examination conducted annually by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for candidates who desire to secure admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    The sale of forms, according to JAMB, would run till Tuesday, 14th February, 2023. Similarly, the Direct Entry (DE) registration, it added, would commence from Monday, 20th February and run till Thursday, 20th April, 2023

    Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in a statement late last year, disclosed that Saturday, 29th April, 2023, had been fixed for the conduct of the 2023 UTME, and the examination was expected to run till Monday, 12th May, 2023.

    JAMB said it had also fixed Thursday, 16th March, 2023, for the conduct of its optional mock-UTME. It noted that interested candidates would be required to pay the sum of N1000 service charge for Computer Based Test (CBT) centres for the conduct of mock examination at the point of registration so as to prevent a situation where candidates would indicate interest to sit for the mock-UTME leading the various centres to commit human and material resources only to stay away on the day of the examination. JAMB spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in the statement, confirmed that the decision was taken at the end of JAMB’s management meeting.

    (Sun)

  • EnuguDecides2023: APGA gov’ship candidate commissions renovated school hall 

    EnuguDecides2023: APGA gov’ship candidate commissions renovated school hall 

    Frank Nweke Jr, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Gubernatorial Candidate for Enugu state, celebrated the official opening of the newly renovated exam hall at Ozalla High School, delivered by Ozalla Union, USA, on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

    The hall is to serve as a learning center and a more conducive environment for students taking key examinations in the community.

    While thanking the private citizens for their efforts to ensure that the community had respite in different aspects of their lives, he also reiterated that education was a priority for his administration when elected as the Governor of Enugu State. He stated that he would be working closely with local governments and private citizens to ensure the best education for all children.

    Nweke encouraged the teachers to remain committed to their roles as shapers of the future and the children to make studying their priority.

    Also at the event were the President General of Ozara Union, USA, Chief Emeka Nnaji, past President Generals of Ozara Union, USA, Chief Larry Okoh, Chief Izu Oyeani, Prof Okwi Igwe and the President General of Ozalla Development Union, Barr. CNN Nwabara amongst others.

  • ASUU Demands Increase in Education Tax from 2.5% to 10%

    ASUU Demands Increase in Education Tax from 2.5% to 10%

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the federal government to increase the Education Tax from the current 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent to enable Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to mobilise more funds to adequately address the decay and challenges confronting the tertiary education sub-sector.

    This came as the federal government made a public presentation of 50 new textbooks published by Nigerian authors under the sponsorship of TETFund.

    Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who unveiled the textbooks in Abuja, said the publications would end the dominance of foreign academic materials in the nation’s educational institutions.

    ASUU President, Comrade Emmanuel Osodeke, who is attending such public functions in recent times as a result of a lingering face-off with the federal government, described TETFund as a brainchild of the Union.

    While commending the agency for transforming the nation’s higher education sub-sector, Osodoke called for an increase of education tax from the current 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent to enable TETFund to improve its intervention in the tertiary education sub-sector.

    He decried the poor attitude of some big companies and wealthy Nigerians on the payment of education tax, saying there was a need to reposition and expand the education tax net to bring about more resources for tertiary education institutions.

    Adamu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, said: “Overtime, Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions became dependent on books published outside the country with the attendant consequences of the herculean processes and unfavourable foreign exchange rate.

    “It is equally worrisome that the quality of most academic publications in our country leaves much to be desired. It is therefore expected that nourishing the culture of quality authorship and the production of indigenous books will not only ensure the availability of relevant books in the diverse subject areas taking cognisance of our local environment and sensitivities but will also safeguard national pride and reduce the demand for foreign exchange.”

    The minister, who commended TETFund for the publications, challenged the agency and authors to also produce books in the nation’s indigenous languages.

    “I also charge TETFund and the academia to go beyond publishing in the English Language to promoting authorship in our local languages in line with the recently approved National Language Policy,” he said.

    On his part, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, commended the authors, TETFund’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and others for the publication of the 50 new textbooks.

    “TETFund is committed to doing this. TETFund has set a minimum target of 50 textbooks per year. I am sure that TAG will also surpass our expectations,” Echono said.

    The TETFund boss also assured that the newly published books would be distributed to tertiary institutions’ libraries at no cost.

    “All the books we have published so far, the initial publications are going to be distributed to the libraries of our tertiary institutions free of charge. It is the subsequent publications that students will be buying or other researchers will buy.

    “We are also going to help them because the ministry has established an education cloud, we are digitising our thesis and records, and through that ecosystem, you are going to have digital copies of these materials. All we are going to do now is to ensure we will protect the authors’ intellectual property rights and once that is done, they are going to be available on the internet,” Echono said.

    On the ASUU President’s clamour for a 10 per cent education tax, Echono said: “I am aware the current administration has done a lot in this regard. Mr. President in just two years has taken two bold steps, I know there is a degree of pushback from industries, from NECA about the issue of multiple taxations and the difficult operating environment, but seeing how important education is to national development, this President on two occasions; last year it was increased from 2 to 2.5 per cent and in the current Finance Bill, Mr. President has ensured that it is increased to 3 per cent.

    “I don’t want to preempt until it is signed, but that shows the commitment of the President that wants to leave a legacy.

    “Everyone knows that what is happening in most tertiary institutions is through the instrumentality of TETFund so increasing TETFund funding will go a long way in achieving that, whether we can go to 10 per cent currently is a conversation that will be held somewhere else.”

    (This Day)

  • Students plead with ASUU not to resume strike till after exams

    Students plead with ASUU not to resume strike till after exams

    Students of Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on Monday pleaded with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) not to resume its strike until after their second semester exams.

    The students’ plea came on the heels of ASUU’s Congress meeting on Monday, deliberating on Federal Government’s alleged failure to pay its members’ salaries after resuming work on October 14 from its eight months strike.

    A cross section of the students, who made the plea while speaking with NAN in Lokoja, said it would be disastrous if their exams scheduled to commence on November 14 would not hold.

    Miss Joy Abuh, a Political Science student, said her prayer was that Monday’s ASUU congress would not end up with resumption of the suspended strike.

    “We have just settled down after the strike suspension and seriously preparing for our second semester exams starting next Monday.

    “It will be disastrous for us in FUL if the exams will not hold as scheduled, considering the eight months we have wasted at home.

    “My fervent prayer is that the union will not declare any strike at the end of their meeting today in Abuja,” she said.

    Another student, Adeiza Ibrahim, with Department of Education, lamented the effects of any further strike on the Nigerian students and called for a rethink from ASUU to allow academic activities continue while they settled their differences with the government.

    “I think much damage has been done to the nation’s education system and there should be due consideration for a turn of new leaf because we’re talking about the our future, the youths of this country.

    “If at the end, we won’t be allowed to write this semester exams, then it will be so terrible and devastating,” Ibrahim asserted.

    Apeyemi Abubakar, a 100 Level student of Chemistry Education said, “all we are begging for is for ASUU to allow us write this examination without any hindrance”.

    “We have stayed home longer than necessary and now that we are back in campus, the Federal Government and ASUU should not allow anything to tamper with our educational pursuits anymore, ” she begged.

    ASUU reacts

    But Dr Joshua Silas, FUL ASUU Chairman, said, “we have no power of our own as a chapter to disobey our national body if it asks us to resume strike today, November 7.

    “As I speak with you, I am already in Abuja for ASUU’s Congress meeting holding today. Everything will rest on the outcome of the congress.

    He said if eventually they resumed the strike after today’s congress, “I will indeed sympathise with our students, whose time table for the second semester exams is out and commencing Monday, Nov 14 with all things being equal,” Silas said.

    (NAN)

  • Strike: ASUU raises eyebrow over selective payment of medical lecturers’ salaries

    Strike: ASUU raises eyebrow over selective payment of medical lecturers’ salaries

    Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has accused the Federal Government of trying to break its ranks by selecting some medical lecturers for payment of their withheld salaries, while other academic staff are left unattended to.

    Specifically, the union said medical lecturers at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto have been paid seven months salaries, accusing the Minister of Labour and Employment , Dr Chris Ngige, of favouring his professional colleagues.

    In a statement by the chairperson, ASUU, UDUS, M. N Almustapha and the Secretary, S. A Sadiku, the union noted that such action would not augur well for the university system.

    Also speaking in a chat with Vanguard yesterday, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the minister to order.

    “I am aware of what is going on. The minister just want to create more problems and Nigerians should take note. They are pushing us again to the point of taking drastic action. ”We have not been paid for eight months and we have resumed for about a month now. Those who impress it upon us to suspend the strike should take note also, “he said.

    When contacted whether his members had been paid, the National Secretary of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, Dr Henry Oripeloye, said no member of his union had been paid any salary.

    ” We have not been paid any salary. And regarding the claim that medical lecturers in Sokoto have been paid, I cannot confirm that but a few days ago, I was in touch with one of their leaders and he said their members have not been paid too, ” he stated.

    Efforts to get Dr Peter, the National Treasurer of MDCAN to react were futile as his line was not connecting.

    ASUU UDUS in the statement said: “Recall also that, on the 14th of July, 2022, the Minister of Labour and Employment granted an interview on Arise TV, where he stated, quote “Medical lecturers are at work, they are teaching.

    ”Sokoto has graduated their medical students, they are reasonable people, they have tested the strike, and saw that it produces no result, yes they did it the last time. So, today, they have written, their vice chancellor has approved that they are at work.”

    “This claim by the Minister, after careful investigation and consultation with the Vice Chancellor, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences and the Chairman, Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, UDUTH Branch, was found to be false. Thus, on the 17th of July, 2022, the Branch addressed a press conference at the NUJ Secretariat, Sokoto to refute the claim by the Minister. During the said conference, the Branch, categorically and unequivocally stated that, no member of the mentioned body in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital was at work during the said period.

    (Vanguard)

  • WAEC announces plan to release certificates with results

    WAEC announces plan to release certificates with results

    The West Africa Examination Council has announced plans to make its certificates available to candidates of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination once their results are released.

    The Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan, made this known on Tuesday at a luncheon organised by the exam body in Lagos.

    He also noted that the digital certificate set to be launched on Thursday, October 20, 2022, applies to those who wrote the exams between 1999 till date, adding that the preceding years would be considered much later.

    According to him, the new the digital certificate cannot be tampered with or falsified, just as it would send fakers out of the market.

    He said, “Whether your certificate was burnt or lost to flood or eaten by termite, you don’t have to go through the stress of recovering it. Just pick your phone and log on to our website and it comes straight from the WAEC database.

    “We have solved the problem of theft. We have saved you the headache of carrying the hard copies of your certificate. And the good thing that will come out of this is, by the time we take a final decision and perfect everything, if we release the results today, I can tell you that the certificates are ready. It is just to roll them out. If we announce the release of results today, the certificates will automatically be ready for release. It may just take a year to transit, because the certificates we have now is going to be treated, but immediately they are treated, they will be available in the database. The next one, that will be 2023 or 2024, immediately we release the results the certificate will be ready.”

    He, however, listed insecurity as one of the challenges the body was facing in conducting exams across the country.

    He said, “Places where you go to by road, you now have to fly because of insecurity. Almost everybody in WAEC now flies. We are the greatest movers of leg and materials. We stay in hotels. And you know for security reasons you can no longer stay in anyhow hotel. You have to stay in a safe area. There are some places you cannot conduct exams without the physical presence of the police and the Nigerian Army.

    “When you go to the East due to what I will call ethnic separatism; you go to the north where you have banditry and insurgency; how do you conduct exams in those areas? Thank God some state governments cooperate with us. If not for the military and the brigade command in Yobe and Borno States, we would not have been able to conduct examination. In the East, we thank the DSS. And generally all over the country, we thank the Inspector-General of Police. We take the exam to every nook and cranny of the country. Our exam is not such that you gather people together in one central location. There is no facility like that in Nigeria. Wherever the school is located, you must go there to conduct the examination. That is a great challenge. Even in some places where you don’t have banditry, gunmen or insurgency, the roads are not good. These are the challenges we have in trying to serve the Nigerian child.”

    (Punch)

  • BREAKING NEWS: ASUU finally calls off 8-month old strike

    BREAKING NEWS: ASUU finally calls off 8-month old strike

    At last, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its eight-month-old industrial action conditionally, paving way for immediate resumption of academic activities.

    The decision was taken in the early hours of Friday during a meeting of its leadership that began on Thursday night.

    The meeting was called by the union to determine its next line of action after its state branches met over the Court of Appeal ruling last week.

    The Court of Appeal had ordered ASUU to suspend the strike before its appeal of the ruling ordering lecturers to resume work can be heard.

    Members of the union’s National Executive Committee, which comprises the chairmen of the state chapters and members of the national executive, attended the meeting at the ASUU National Secretariat in Abuja.

    ASUU has been on strike since February 14 this year

    (Sun)

  • ASUU branches begin voting to decide on calling off strike

    Branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will commence traditional voting today (Tuesday)and tomorrow (Wednesday) over the ongoing strike by the union, The reporter gathered.

    The decision of the various branches will be transmitted to the National Executive Council for final decision.

    A highly-placed source within the NEC disclosed this in a chat with our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday.

    “We got the directive after the meeting with the speaker yesterday(Monday). The intervention was timely. Branches will vote between today and tomorrow after which the decisions will be convened to the NEC,” the source said.

    It was reported that the new development comes on the heels of the meeting with the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who called several meetings between the union and the side of the Federal Government.

    The lead counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, SAN had also explained to The PUNCH that the strike would be over in a few days.

    ASUU had on Monday, February 14, 2022 embarked on a strike over what the union described as the failure of the government to meet lingering demands of the union.

    The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige after what he described as “failed negotiations” dragged the striking lecturers to the National Industrial Court.

    The National Industrial Court had on 21 September ordered ASUU to call off the strike.

    The court granted the motion on notice filed by the federal government, directing the lecturers to return to classrooms.

    Ruling on the interlocutory injunction, the trial judge, Polycarp Hamman, restrained ASUU from continuing with the industrial action pending the determination of the suit filed against ASUU by the federal government.

    Displeased by the ruling, the union headed to the appeal court to appeal the ruling.

    It also filed a stay of execution of the ruling of the industrial court.

    The Court of Appeal ordered the striking lecturers to “immediately” call off the eight months strike, having struck out ASUU’s application for a stay of execution of the lower court’s order.

    It said it was within ASUU’s right to appeal the decision of the industrial court.

    Agreeing with the federal government’s argument that ASUU cannot approach the appellate court with “dirty hands”, the panel held, “should the applicant fail to obey the order (of the lower court), the leave granted shall be automatically vacated.”

  • ASUU ready to call off strike – Falana

    A senior human rights lawyer and counsel for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Femi Falana, on Monday stated that his clients were ready to call off its nearly eight-month strike. He revealed this at a book launch ‘Breaking Coconut With Your Head’ by Lanre Arogundade on Monday in Lagos.

    He hinted that the industrial action will be concluded outside the courtroom in his reaction to the appellate court’s order that the public universities’ lecturers should return to classrooms.

    In a terse message to our correspondent, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria also called on the Federal Government to fast track and finalise its negotiations with ASUU.

    He expressed confidence that the meeting between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the presidency over the matter, would yield positive results.

    Responding to enquiry on the state of the ASUU strike, Falana said, “Our clients are ready to call off the strike. The Federal Government should fast track the and finalise the negotiations.

    The federal government and ASUU since February 14 have been at loggerheads over demands of proper funding of the university educational system to a global standard.

  • 60% of candidates pass with 5 credits, as NECO releases results

    60% of candidates pass with 5 credits, as NECO releases results

    The National Examination Council (NECO) says no fewer than 727,864 representing 60.74 per cent of the 1,198,412 candidates who sat for this year’s Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) got five credits and above including English language and Mathematics.

    A total of 889,188 candidates out of the number who sat for the school-based examinations that sat for this year got five credits for English language, representing 74.89 per cent.

    In the same vein, 929,140 candidates scored credits and above in Mathematics.

    The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO Professor Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi who announced the release of the result at the NECO headquarters in Minna Niger State capital on Thursday said a total number of 1,209,703 with males 636,327 and females 573,376 registered for this year’s Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations.

    (Sun)

  • ASUU: Nigerian govt withdraws directive asking VCs to reopen universities

    ASUU: Nigerian govt withdraws directive asking VCs to reopen universities

    The Nigerian government has withdrawn its earlier directive asking the management of federal universities to reopen the institutions “to ensure that the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resume and commence lectures immediately.”

    The latest development was contained in another letter by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and dated 26 September.

    Like the earlier copy containing the “marching order,” the new letter was also signed by NUC’s Director of Finance and Accounts, Sam Onazi, on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Abubakar Rasheed.

    The agency had earlier on Friday directed the management of all federal universities to comply with the order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) directing ASUU members to return to classrooms pending the determination of the substantive matter before it.

    The government had asked the pro chancellors and vice-chancellors to ensure that the striking lecturers resume and commence lectures immediately.

    U-turn

    The government’s directive had caused confusion for the university management as the vice-chancellors were unsure of how to go about the decision.

    The confusion is reinforced by the pending application for a stay of execution at the appeal court by the counsel to the striking union, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

    Femi Falana (SAN)

    But the new letter by the NUC which was addressed to the pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors of the federal universities is titled; “Withdrawal of Circular Ref: NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/135 Dated 23rd September 2022.”

    The new letter referenced NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/136 and dated 26 September, reads in part; “I have been directed to withdraw the National Universities Commission (NUC) circular Ref, NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/135 and dated 23rd September 2022 on the above subject. Consequently, the said Circular stands withdrawn.

    “All Pro-Chancellors and Chairmen of Governing Councils, as well as Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities are to please note. Further development and information would be communicated to all relevant stakeholders.”

    The letter, however, did not give reasons for the withdrawal but it might not be unconnected to the criticisms by many Nigerians who have taken to social media to comment on the development.

    Backlash

    Many Nigerians including the members of the management of various institutions had earlier on Monday condemned the government’s directive for reportedly “ignoring the stay of execution application filed at the appeal court against the NIC order by the lecturers’ union.”

    While some university management members spoken to on the phone on Monday by PREMIUM TIMES said they were yet to take a decision on the matter, others said they were unaware of the development.

    An official of NUC who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity earlier on Monday said the agency only carried out the instruction by its supervising ministry and that it was not in a position to query the decision.

    “On how the directive would be implemented NUC has no say on that. It is a different matter entirely. We were only asked to communicate the decision and we did,” the official who does not want to be quoted for fear of sanction said.

    True to the source’s claim, the earlier directive issued by NUC was a follow-up to an earlier letter by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, conveying the enrolment order of the NIC to his counterpart at the Ministry of Education, Adamu Adamu.

    Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu

    Mr Ngige had written to request that the NUC and the universities be directed to “immediately re-open all the universities, recall the students of the various Universities, ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures, restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses.”

    In response to Mr Ngige’s letter, Mr Adamu, through his ministry’s Director of Human Resource Management, David Gende, told the NUC to carry out the instruction.

    Background

    The government through the labour ministry had referred the dispute between it and ASUU to the NICN. The government counsel, James Igwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, subsequently filed an application seeking the court to order ASUU to suspend the strike while the court heard the dispute.

    Despite ASUU’s objection, the court granted the government’s application ordering the lecturers’ union to suspend its seven-month-old strike. ASUU has appealed the judgement and filed an application for a stay of execution.

    ASUU embarked on the ongoing industrial action on 14 February, to compel the government to fulfil its part of the 2009 agreement, the Memorandum of Action signed in 2020 and to implement the recently concluded negotiations with the government-constituted committee which renegotiated the 2009 agreement.

    (Premium Times)