Relevant stakeholders have opined that the novel COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the industrial action embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has caused great harm to the Nigerian University system. The president-elect of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Sunday Asefon, has berated the federal government and ASUU for failing to reach a practical resolution on the over nine-month-old strike, which has led to accrued house rent on the part of the affected students. While the house rent paid for the year 2020 expires without being used, another one beckons. The situation has aroused mixed feelings among university students, who are still struggling to cope with the shock of the lingering ASUU strike.   Report: Femi Williams University students across the federation have stressed the need for constructive consultation and dialogue with landlords in their respective institutions over the issue of accumulated house rent. ...

-Esan Femi Williams-   The Management of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has rescheduled the earlier postponed resumption date of the university members of staff to Monday, December 7, 2020.   This was contained in an internal memorandum signed by the University registrar, Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya yesterday.   According to the new release, the decision was taken, following due considerations and consultations.   Recall that the institution, had in a circular last week, postponed the resumption date for the university members of staff, following its response to the directives of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC on COVID-19.   Meanwhile, all Staff of the university are to resume normal duties with effect from Monday, 7th December, 2020, in line with the Covid-19 protocols.   The circular reads in part; “I write with reference to our earlier circulars on the above subject, to inform you that the University M...

The Senate of the University of Ibadan today elected Prof. Adebola Babatunde Ekanola, as the new Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university. Journalists gathered that Ekanola until his appointment was the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics. Report says five Professors had indicated interest in succeeding the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka whose tenure expired on the 30th of November, 2020. Ekanola scored 275 votes to defeat four other rivals vying for the position. Others who contested include Professor Olanike Adeyemo who scored 13 votes, Professor A. Oluleye who got 80 votes, Professor Adigun Agbaje who got 15 votes and Professor Gbemisola Oke who got 14 votes.

European player of the year Robert Lewandowski is one of 10 players on the shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award unveiled Wednesday, alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Besides Polish striker Lewandowski, one other winner of the Champions League with Bayern Munich made the list, Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who joined Liverpool in September. The English champions also count Senegal’s Sadio Mane, Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Dutchman Virgil van Dijk on the shortlist. Paris Saint-Germain, beaten Champions League finalists, are represented by Mbappe and Neymar. Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos complete the list. Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa, who led Leeds into the English Premier League, headlines a list for the men’s coach award, which also features Bayern’s Hans-Dieter Flick, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane. Three finali...

A judge on Saturday rejected the White House’s limitations on a program protecting 700,000 so-called “Dreamers,” undocumented migrants brought to the United States as children. The federal judge in New York ruled that President Donald Trump’s acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was not lawfully serving in his role when he issued the new rules for the DACA program in July. The ruling is another victory for proponents of the Barack Obama-era program after the US Supreme Court in June rejected Trump’s cancellation of it. President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in the November 3 polls, had pledged to reinstate the program when he takes office on January 20. Wolf, who has not been confirmed in his role by the US Senate, issued new restrictions on the program in response to the Supreme Court ruling. Saturday’s court decision said his restrictions “effectively suspended” DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, while the Trump administration reviewed how to proceed. Wol...

Barely three days after police in Anambra State resumed duties, men of the state command have foiled a robbery operation in Onitsha, arresting two suspects. The state police command’s spokesperson, SP Haruna Mohammed, who disclosed this to journalists, said firearm and ammunition were also recovered from the suspects, while a Toyota Venza car, suspected to have been stolen by the gang was also recovered. Since after the End SARS protest, which led to the burning down of most police facilities and killing of personnel, police have been off duty, giving cultists, robbers and other hoodlums the opportunity to operate freely around Anambra State. Mohammed who disclosed the arrest of the suspects said, “On the 14/11/2020 at about 10:05pm, there was a distress call that two suspected armed robbery gang were operating near Shoprite, Onitsha. “Following the distress call, Police operatives attached to the Command Rapid Response squad, RRS quickly responded, rushed to the scene and arrested one...

The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi says youths’ anger and hunger should be pacified with supports in form of training, mentorship and other empowerment initiatives. Ooni explained that youths are angry because they are hungry and the only way to get them out of the anger is to continue to empower them. The monarch disclosed this during the commencement of his fifth year coronation anniversary and graduation of Ojaja II Fashion Training Institute, OFTI students in Ile-Ife. “In line with the celebration of my 5th year on the throne, I have mapped out plans to empower 5,000 youths to be financially independent and be able to feed others. “I hereby call on Nigerian leaders, political, traditional and religious leaders to know that it is now a necessity to empower the youths. Out of our earnings, let us dedicate part to the empowerment of youths in our areas. We must consider this as a necessity and what should be done on a regular basis. “We just had a sample of youth restiveness and it sho...

The federal government has declared that teachers without requisite qualifications and practicing license will be removed from the Nigeria Teaching Service. The government said henceforth, First Class and Second Class Upper graduates will get teaching jobs. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono made this known on Saturday in Abuja. He spoke while monitoring the conduct of the 2020 October Diet Batch B Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examinations, PQE. “By 2021, we will not engage teachers if they don’t meet particular threshold. We are now limiting entry point of teaching only to the best who are qualified. We will engage individuals with second class upper and first class divisions,” he said. The official disclosed that arrangements will be made for conversion programmes for such graduates. Echono said since most studied in fields not related to teaching, they need to learn pedagogy and methodology through the National Teachers Institute, NTI, and the Teachers Reg...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, told students to prepare for resumption next week. ASUU said this on its official Twitter page as the education body expressed hope of an agreement with the federal government. The Union expressed optimism that students would return to universities next week after its meeting with the federal government. The tweet read: “ All Federal University students should prepare for resumption as we expect a positive outcome from ASUU on Wednesday.” This is coming after the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Friday, expressed the hope that the agreement with the Union will be concluded next week. Ngige lamented that ASUU was not considering the challenges their demands would create.

The Lagos State Panel of Judicial Inquiry probing police brutality and the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate resumed today after suspending sittings for a week. The retired Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel was, last Saturday, forced to suspend its sittings due to the boycott of the panel sitting by the two youth representatives on the panel – Oluwarinu Oduala and Temitope Majekodunmi. The youths had boycotted the panel sitting in protest against the freezing of the bank accounts of 20 #EndSARS promoters by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria. One of the frozen accounts belongs to Oduala. Commenting on the absence of the youth members last Saturday, the Chairman of the judicial panel, Justice Okuwobi, had said without the youths, the panel could not form a quorum and had no other option but to adjourned till today. However, the panel resume sitting today with the two youth members. The panel is set to take the testimony of th...

The federal government will consider “options” to stop the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU from continuing its industrial action. Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, spoke on a Television programme yesterday. “There are so many options left. We have the labour laws and I have options left to me in the labour laws. I have other channels,” he said. Ngige complained that the union was not considering the challenges their demands would create. The minister said even if countries go to war, they eventually meet at the negotiation table. “I’m inviting them (ASUU) next week, we are doing side meetings on our part. I’m collating responses from the Accountant General of the Federation’s Office and everybody who has something to do with this matter.” On the return of students to classes, Ngige said he was hopeful that it would not take long. Ngige expressed optimism that talks will be concluded next week. Ngige confirmed that government had agreed to try out University Tra...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU cannot claim to be autonomous when lecturers are paid by the government, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said on Wednesday. He said autonomy can only work when a university generates its resources to pay workers and meet its obligation. Ngige spoke while defending his ministry’s budget before the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment. Striking lecturers have refused to call off their seven-month strike because of disagreement with the government over the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS). ASUU claimed that enrolling on the platform would erode the autonomy of the university system. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday issued a 14-day ultimatum to parties to resolve the lingering strike or face nationwide protests. Ngige, according to a statement by his media aide, Emmanuel Nzomiwu, told the lawmakers that the Federal Government was addressing the strike holistically to ensure ...

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commenced strategic plans aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The party made unsuccessful attempt in 2015 to return to power through its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It has now gone back to the drawing board and this time, the youths are being projected to lead the battle. A youth summit is scheduled to hold in the six geo-political zones of the country. Inaugurating the South-East planning committee for the event in Enugu, on Wednesday, the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus said it was time for the youths to take the centre stage. He said power would shift to the youths as the elders had failed to meet the expectations of the people. “Power will shift to the youths, we can’t continue to say leaders of tomorrow, the tomorrow should be now. “The elders have failed this country without any apology, so the youths should rise up. We can’t continue to watch while the...

The Lagos State Mobile Court had ordered forfeiture of 31 vehicles to the State government for contravening the State Traffic Law. The Court made the pronouncement after the 31 defendants (drivers) pleaded guilty to the ‘One-way’ traffic offence charged against them. According to the Mobile Court, “These arraigned 31 drivers were charged for driving in the direction prohibited by Law (One-way) punishable under Part (III) item 27 of the ‘Lagos State Transport Sector Reformed Law of 2018 and have been penalized accordingly.” However, 43 other drivers arraigned for plying the BRT corridors and causing road obstructions were ordered to pay fines to the government in accordance with the law and severity of their offence. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi confirmed that out of 160 arraigned traffic offenders, including those apprehended for driving against traffic (One-way) only 74 had so far appe...

The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has urged members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to leave the teaching profession and consider going into farming, stressing that more farmers are needed in the country. Also, in preparation for the reopening of schools, Nwajuiba said some of the modalities that have been put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 will include afternoon classes in order to prevent overcrowding. Nwajuiba who was a guest on a television programme in Abuja yesterday, reiterated that all schools must enforce the COVID-19 protocols. He said: “Some people may not believe what we are doing but we must continue to enforce that. You must continue to abide by the protocol. You must provide them. We don’t really care about how much inconvenience or how convenient you think it is for your child to wear facemask. Obey the rules first. If we find out you’re not following those rules, we will have to deal with somebody.” On the protrac...

The federal government has directed the reopening of Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in the country. Tertiary institution regulatory agencies like the National Universities Commission, NUC, National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, and National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, have also directed tertiary institutions to reopen. The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, said the decision to reopen schools was sequel to review of COVID-19 situation in Nigeria, with the number of infections declining. “We have consulted widely with stakeholders in the sector including the Association of Private Schools, NAPPS, Provosts of Colleges of Education, Rectors of Polytechnics, Vice-Chancellors of Universities, State Governors, Commissioners of Education and development partners,” Adamu said. Adamu had also confirmed all unity schools will open by October 12.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has ordered the reopening of all schools in the country. This is after about six months of shutting down in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja. The minister further advised all schools to adhere to the guidelines for the reopening of schools. The minister said all unity schools should open by October 12 “while states and private schools will determine their own modalities of reopening.”

President Muhammadu Buhari, today addressed the nation on the occasion of Nigeria’s 60th Independence Day anniversary. He appealed to Nigerians to solidify their strength, increase commitment and encourage others to do that what is right. Buhari also reflected on Nigeria’s journey to Independence. His full speech below: Fellow Nigerians I speak to you today as your President and fellow citizen on this epoch occasion of our country’s 60th independence Anniversary. As President, I wish to renew my appreciation to Nigerians for entrusting me with your hopes and aspirations for a better and greater Nigeria. 2. Today, it is my unique privilege to re-commit myself to the service of this great country of great people with profound diversities and opportunities. We are bound by destiny to be the largest and greatest black nation on earth. 3. At this stage in our nationhood it is important that we reflect how we got here to enable us work TOGETHER to get to where we aspire to...